Little Lilly
by foxfire222
Summary: Murdock finds a little girl injured in an alley one night. How will this effect the team?  How will it effect a small girl to grow up around the A-Team. Story is better then it sounds...I hope. I suck at summaries. I own nothing but my OC and the plot.
1. Chapter 1

Murdock was having the best night he had had in months. The team had just finished a mission and were back home in LA. They were sitting at an old bar downtown where they were welcome by the owner who they had helped the year before. He held a beer in his hand as he watched his friends from across the room. He loved nights like this that were so few and far between. Nights where it felt like it had before they had become wanted criminals 2 years ago. Like they were just having fun after an official mission and were being treated to drinks by their CO.

Murdock smiled as BA pushed Face out of his chair with a smile on his face while Hannibal chuckled behind his cigar. He brought the beer to his lips but set it down without drinking. He really loved nights like this but they brought up so many memories. He sometimes had to get some fresh air, like now.

Murdock walked out front of the bar and leaned against the front window. He looked around and smirked. The neighborhood was not the best but it had gotten better since they had started to work the area. Still, the street was very empty this time of night. That's why a small noise got his attention.

It was just a small noise, but it was familiar. It was the sound of a quiet sob. He had heard that sound so many times over the years. He followed the sound and waited for another. He barely heard the next one but followed it into the alley behind the bar. It was coming from behind the dumpster.

"Hello, is anyone there?" Murdock asked, slipping his hand under his jacket and reaching for the gun tucked into his pants just in case. There was the sound of garbage moving, like someone being startled. Then the sobbing cut off, "I know someone is back there. I just wanted to make sure you were alright, I heard crying." he slowly looked around the dumpster and let his hand move away from his gun

Sitting in an empty box was a small girl, no older then 7. He could only make out a few things in the dim lighting. Her clothes hung off her like they were a few sizes to big, like she was drowning in them. Her hair was long, tangled, and to dirty to tell the real color. Her skin was pale but hidden under dirt and what looked like bruises and blood as well. Her wide green eyes stared up at him in fear, tears forming streaks in the dirt on her face. At seeing him she had tried to press herself farther into the box.

Murdock got to his knees and held up his hands to show her they were empty, "Hey there sweetie, are you hurt?" she didn't answer and her tears increased, "Hey hey hey, it's alright, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna know if your hurt." he reached into his jacket pocket and dug around until he found what he had been looking for. He pulled out 2 suckers, one red and one green, and held them out to the girl, "Hey, you like candy?" the girl looked up and stared at him, "It's alright, take whichever one you want."

Quick as a flash the girl's hand reached out and snatched the red one. She quickly opened it and started to suck on it. She still looked at him with fear but wasn't so pressed to the wall anymore. Murdock just smiled at her, "There now, you like that." he put the other sucker back in his pocket, "See, I'm a nice guy, just wanna help you." he sat down before her, legs crossed, hands on his knees and in full view, "So, wanna talk to me now?" The girl just narrowed her eyes slightly. Murdock sighed, "Alright, well, how about I just ask you yes or no questions. You can just nod or shake your head, don't even have to talk to me. How does that sound?" the girl stared at him some more and when he was about to give up she nodded slowly, "Good, now we're getting somewhere."

Murdock looked at her in her scared green eyes and asked, "So, are you hurt? Cause you got some blood on you there." the girl paused and looked down as she nodded slowly, "Alright. Would you let me help you?" she looked up at him again, questions filling her eyes, "You wouldn't have to stick around if you didn't want to or anything. I just want to make sure your alright. And you look hungry to. Have you eaten today?" the girl shook her head no, "Well, how about we trade. I'll give you a nice warm meal, but in return you have to let me fix you up. Do we have a deal?"

The girl was very quiet, the only noises coming from her sucking on the candy in her mouth. She seemed to be thinking very hard about what he had just said. Then, so quietly he almost missed it, and in a voice that sounded like the tinkle of little bells, she said hesitantly, "Alright."

Murdock just smiled and slowly reached out his hand, "Alright, just give me your hand. I live just down the block." when the girl didn't move to take his hand something occurred to him, "Can you walk?" the girl started to cry silently as she shook her head, "Oh sweet pea, why didn't you tell me? Would it be alright if I carried you then?" she nodded hesitantly, "Alright, I'll go real slow."

Murdock slowly picked up the little girl, she felt so light. She curled up into his chest, absorbing his body heat in the chilly night air. When he picked her up he noticed that she had no shoes or socks. Her left ankle looked swollen. As he walked out of the dark alley and into the light he got a better look at her. She appeared to have red hair under all the filth it was covered in. he could also see a shallow cut on top of her head, where the blood on her face had come from. The bottoms of her feet were also covered in small cuts. And he had been right before, her face had a large bruise forming on her right cheek. He could see she was wearing what looked like pants that were to long for her that she had rolled up. Her shirt was hanging off of her like a dress and was covered in stuff Murdock didn't even want to think about.

He realized that if he was gonna fix her up, even just for the night, he needed to get her some new clothes. He would call Face once he got back to his apartment. He could guess the girl's sizes.

When they got to his building he went inside. It wasn't the Ritz but it was good enough for him. He went up the stairs to the third floor into 3B. The team all lived on the same floor. The neighbors didn't really care who they were because they had helped save the building from men trying to steal it for some stupid building project. In fact, they had helped everyone within two blocks from the same thing, including the bar they had been drinking at.

He opened the door to his apartment with one hand. It was a modest 2 bedroom with one bathroom, a living room area, and a small kitchen. The kitchen was always kept fully stocked so he could cook whenever he wanted. He set the girl down on the couch in his living room and kneeled down in front of her. She was holding the stick the sucker had been on.

"Do you want another one?" she nodded. He reached into his jacket and held out the green one, "I know it's not red but I can get more later alright." she nodded and took it, "Now, I have to make a phone call real quick, let my friends know where I am. Then we can get you cleaned up and fed. My friend, Face, is gonna bring you some clothes that fit you alright?" she nodded as she put the sucker into her mouth, "I'll be in the other room. If you need me for anything just yell. Now don't go anywhere."

Murdock went into the kitchen and pulled out his cell phone. He called Face's number and waited as it rang.

"Peck here."

"Face, it's Murdock."

"Murdock, man, where did you go?"

"I went outside to get some air. I found something out in the alley."

"What?"

"A little girl. Face, you should see her. She's all dirty and beat up. Her clothes don't fit and she doesn't have any shoes. I need you to go out and get her some clothes. Get a few outfits cause she's gonna be here until her ankles healed up."

"Whoa, wait, you found a little girl. Is she alright? What's wrong with her ankle?"

"It's twisted I think, haven't checked it out yet. Just tell me if you can get it to me and how soon."

There was a pause and then Face said, "The shop down the street is still open for another hour, I can get it to you in about 30 minutes. What's her name Murdock?"

"I'll tell you as soon as she tells me. Tell the guys what's going on and when you come over be quiet so you don't scare her." Murdock hung up after giving Face what he hoped were the girls sizes and returned to his living room. The girl hadn't moved

"Alright sweet pea. Let's get you cleaned up." he picked her up and carried her into the bathroom, "Now, I need to clean you up alright." her eyes showed a bit of panic and she started to wiggle, "Hey hey, it's alright. I promise, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just need to make sure you aren't hurt anywhere I can't see. I promise, I'll go real slow and gentle alright?" the girl nodded and took a few deep breathes

Murdock slowly stripped the small girl before him while the tub filled up with warm water. First he washed her hair, making sure to be careful of the cut on her head. Then he used a wash cloth to clean her face and ears with. Then he handed the washcloth to her, "Now, you clean the rest of yourself."

Once she was clean he could see all the damage. Along with the cut, cheek bruise, and twisted ankle she had a few other bruises. She had one on her left side and one on her right outer thigh. Murdock didn't ask her any questions, knowing she wouldn't want to answer them right now. He helped her out of the tub, draining the now dirty water. He then helped her dry off, drying her long red hair with a blow dryer and then combing it out. It went down to the small of her back and curled slightly. He wrapped her in his bathrobe, cocooning her inside of it, "There now, don't you feel better." she smiled slightly, a beautiful sight, and nodded, "Now, we just have to wait for my friend to get here with your new clothes. But before he gets here let's get you patched up. Then we can get you something to eat."

He carried her out into the living room and pulled out the first aid kit. Him being part of the A-Team it was quit an extensive kit. He started with the bottoms of her feet. He held up a cotton ball covered in disinfectant, "Now, this is gonna hurt a little but I need to do it to help you. Are you ready?" she nodded, "Alright, here we go." he dabbed the bottoms of her feet and she hissed slightly, tears forming in her eyes but not falling, "Oh I know sweet pea I know." he blew on the bottoms of her feet to ease the pain, "Your doing great." then he wrapped her feet in clean bandages, "See, was that so bad?" she shook her head, smiling slightly at him. He returned the smile, "Now, let's take care of that ankle. I'm afraid you won't be able to walk around on your own for a few days. But your welcome to stay with me as long as you want. Are you alright with that?"

The girl looked down at his smiling face and nodded, "Yes, I like you." she said quietly

Murdock's smile doubled in size, "Well I like you to sweet pea." he started to wrap her ankle tightly, "Hey, you wanna tell me your name? You can call me Murdock."

She smiled and relaxed a little more, "My name is Lilly."

Murdock finished with her ankle, "That's a pretty name, Lilly. I like it." she smiled a little bigger, "I'm sorry about what I gotta do next Lilly but I promise to make it up to you." he held up another cotton ball, "I gotta use the same stuff I used on your feet on your head. It's gonna hurt a little more but I promise that after I fix it up we'll get you something to eat."

Lilly's face became firm and her lips thinned, "Alright, I'm ready."

Murdock smiled at the sound of her voice, "That's a brave girl." he cleaned the cut on her forehead and wiped the tears from her face when he was done. He bandaged it and smiled at her, picking her up into his arms, "I'm proud of you Lilly, you did really well. Now, you get to eat."

He set her down at his small kitchen table. It was up against the far wall, right underneath a small window. It was made to seat two people. He asked, "So, what do you want to eat? I can make you a burger, some macaroni and cheese, a sandwich, bacon and eggs, name it Lilly."

Lilly got a look of concentration on her small face, "Um, can I have grilled cheese and tomato soup, Murdock?"

Murdock beamed at hearing that sweet little voice say his name, "Of course Lilly. One grilled cheese and tomato soup coming right up."

But before he could get started there was a knock on the door. Murdock saw Lilly stiffen in her seat and he kneeled down in front of her, "Hey, it's alright, it's just my friend. He's really nice and he has your new clothes. Do you wanna come meet him? I promise, you'll like him."

Lilly nodded and let Murdock lift her into his arms again. They went to the door and opened it. Face stood there with two bags in each hand from the small clothing store down the street. Face's eyes widened at seeing the redheaded bundle in his friends arms. He smiled softly after seeing the slightly scared look on the girl's face, "Hey there, I got your new clothes."

Murdock stepped back, "Well, what are you waiting for man. Get in here so we can see what you got her. I wanna see if I got the sizes right."

Face stepped inside and followed Murdock into the kitchen where he started to cook, "I'm sure you got them right. You always know peoples sizes, it's weird."

"Whatever Faceman." Murdock said as he started cooking

Face opened the bags to show Lilly what was inside each one, "Now these should fit just fine. I'm more worried about the pants I bought. I wasn't sure if you liked skirts or pants so I bought both. I also got you some nice shoes and a new jacket. And finally I got you some new shirts. Why don't you and Murdock go get you dressed and I'll watch the food."

Lilly nodded and smiled, "Thank you." she said quietly

"Well, what are friends for after all." Face smiled back at her, "My name is Templeton Peck by the way. But you can call me Face."

"I'm Lilly." Lilly said as Murdock picked her up and Face picked up the bags.

They went back to the spare bedroom which was sparsely decorated. It had no specific theme or any real decoration. It was a nice little room with a bed, a side table, a lamp, a digital clock, and a small chest of drawers with a mirror over it as well as a small closet. Face put down the bags and left the room to watch the food while it cooked.

Murdock set Lilly down at the end of the bed and laid out all the clothes. Then he helped her put on some underwear. He told her that she couldn't wear the socks or shoes until her feet and ankle were healed, "Alright Lilly, pick out what you want to wear."

Lilly looked at the clothes on the bed and pointed at a pair of plain blue jeans, a pink t-shirt with a rose on it, and a pale yellow hooded jacket. Murdock helped her get the pants on since she couldn't stand and watched her put on the shirt and jacket. He folded up the rest of the clothes and put them in the empty chest of drawers.

He turned back and smiled, "Now, while you stay here this can be your room. Would that be alright with you."

Lilly nodded, her smile growing slightly, green eyes shining with joy. They both heard Face yell from the kitchen so Murdock picked Lilly up and they went back. When Lilly took her first bite she smiled so wide her face looked split in half. Then small tears started to fall down her face. Murdock and Face were next to her in an instant asking her what was wrong. She just smiled tearfully at them and swallowed her food before saying, "No one has ever been so nice to me before. Thank you Murdock. Thank you Face."

They both reached out and hugged her lightly, so as not to touch her bruises. She finished her food and then Murdock took her straight to bed. Murdock changed her into the pajamas Face had bought. They had little flowers on them. He gave her a bell saying, "If you need me, day or night, just ring that bell. Just ring it when you wake up in the morning an I'll come and get you alright?"

Lilly nodded and snuggled into the bed, falling asleep almost instantly, a smile on her small face.

Murdock went out to his living room and sat next to Face on the couch. They stared at the bookshelf in the dark, looking at all the different books and pictures on the shelves. After a few silent moments Murdock sighed, "Face, we have a big problem."

Face sighed as well, "Yeah. What are we gonna do. Can't just let her go back to the streets. It wouldn't be right."

"Yeah, but you know what might happen. The life we lead, she could get hurt. But I can't think of a single person I would trust her with. What are we gonna do Faceman?"

"I guess we'll just have to see what happens."

And they sat there together in the dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Murdock was awoken from his sleep by the sound of a bell ringing like mad. He looked at the clock to see it was 8AM, he must have overslept. He threw on some pants and ran into the room across the hall, "Sorry, I overslept. What can I do for you Lilly-girl?"

Lilly's face was all scrunched up, "I have to go to the bathroom really bad."

Murdock's eyes widened and he swept her off the bed as fast as he could. He set her on the toilet and left as fast as he had entered, leaving her to her business. Then he ran to his room and got dressed quickly. He got back to the bathroom door just in time for her to tell him she was done. He took her back to her room and they picked her clothes for the day. A nice navy blue skirt that went just past her knees, and a white t-shirt with frills on the ends of the sleeves. Murdock then took her back to the living room and changed her bandages. He helped her stand but it still hurt to much to stand on her own. He helped her brush her hair before going to the kitchen and setting her in the same chair as the night before. Then he started to make some bacon and eggs for breakfast.

"My friends should be here soon. They like to eat breakfast at my place. They say I'm the best cook out of the four of us. Now, you've met Face but you still haven't met BA and Hannibal. When they get here and have met you we're going to have a private talk. During that time I'm gonna put you in the living room to watch TV. Is that alright with you?" Murdock asked as he cracked some eggs into a pan

"Sure. I haven't watched TV in a long time. What should I watch?" Lilly asked as she swung her legs back and forth over the edge of the chair

Murdock looked thoughtful, "Well, I guess you could watch cartoons. Do you like cartoons?"

Lilly smiled and nodded, "I like Bugs Bunny."

Murdock smiled as he scrambled the eggs and finished the bacon, "So do I." he put the food on a plate and set the plate down in front of her just as there was a pounding at the door, "Enjoy the food, I'll be right back."

Murdock ran to the door and opened it to see his friends, "Come on in, Lilly's in the kitchen. I was just about to make you guys breakfast. Be nice to Lilly, she's still a little shy."

They entered the kitchen to see Lilly eating her eggs, bacon gone from her plate. She looked up and her eyes widened at the sight of BA, "Wow, your really big."

All the men paused and then laughed. BA looked at Murdock and said, "Yeah Murdock, she's really shy." BA went over and kneeled next to her, "Hey there little sister, my name is BA, what's yours?"

Lilly smiled shyly, "My name is Lilly. How did you get so big?" she asked shyly

BA just smiled and replied, "I drank a lot of milk and ate my vegetables."

Lilly just nodded and turned to look at Hannibal, "Are you Hannibal?" Hannibal's eyes widened and he nodded as he lit a cigar, "I'm Lilly, it's nice to meet you."

Hannibal smirked and blew smoke from his mouth, "It's nice to meet you to."

Murdock picked her up and grabbed her breakfast, "Now, the grownups have to talk, so let's find you some Bugs Bunny." after Murdock had her settled on the couch he returned to the kitchen and started cooking again

Hannibal spoke first, "She's cute Murdock."

"Yeah, I know that." Murdock said as he put about a pound of bacon into a pan

Hannibal puffed on his cigar, "You know we can't keep her Murdock."

Murdock froze in his cooking for a few seconds before he continued, not looking at his friends, "_We_ can't, but _I_ can. I could take care of her all on my own."

Hannibal raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? Well who would watch her when you went off on a mission?"

"She lived on the street, I'm sure she can watch herself. And I could make her ready to eat meals before we go, she would just have to do was use the microwave." Murdock still didn't look at his CO as he put the food on four different plates and set them on the counter. He went to the fridge and pulled out some milk, pouring 5 glasses. He left the kitchen to take Lilly's to her himself. He patted her on the shoulder, smiled and went back to the kitchen.

Hannibal was leaning against the fridge while BA and Face sat at the small table. They each had their food and were eating in silence. As Murdock leaned against the counter and ate his breakfast Hannibal said, "What if you got hurt on a mission? What if we all died and she was left here all on her own, with no idea where we were or what had happened? What if one of our targets found out about her and used her to get to us? Murdock, think about that."

Murdock dropped his plate onto the counter and stared at the counter top. He replied through grit teeth, "I know but…what else am I supposed to do? I found her. She needs me Colonel. I can't just leave her alone."

Before anyone could say anything Murdock turned and joined Lilly in the living room. When Lilly saw him she asked, "Murdock, is something wrong?"

Murdock smiled at her and sat next to her on the couch, "Nope, not a thing Lilly-pad. Just wanted to hang with my favorite girl for a little while. Unless you don't want to hang out with an old man."

Lilly giggled, a wonderful sound to hear, and smiled at him, "No, I like hanging out with you." she snuggled up against his chest and he put and arm over her, holding her close, "Thank you for taking care of me Murdock."

"I'll take care of you as long as you want me to Lilly-pad. In fact, if you wanted to, you could stay with me. But there would be rules and a few things I would have to tell you." Murdock looked down at her shocked face, "So, do you think you would want to stay?"

Lilly sat back and looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes, "Really, I could stay here with you, with my own room?" Murdock smiled at her and nodded. She lunged forward and latched around his chest, hugging him tightly, "Thank you Murdock."

Murdock hugged her back gently, wary of her healing bruises, "Not a problem sweet pea." he looked up and over to the kitchen entrance. His friends stood there, Hannibal with a frown on his face. Murdock stared back defiantly and held Lilly slightly tighter, "You can stay for as long as you want."

Later that morning, after his friends had left, Murdock returned to the couch. He turned off the TV and turned to Lilly, "Lilly, before you stay here I have to know, what happened to you? How did you end up out there all alone and all banged up?"

Lilly looked down at her bandaged feet. The room was silent for a few minutes before she said, "I don't know how long I've lived on the street. That's all I ever remember really. When I get hungry I just sort of sit out on the street until someone buys me food. No one ever wanted to bring me home before, or buy me new clothes like you did." she smiled sadly up at him as she said that. Then her face became stern as she recalled her next memory, "I got hurt when a bunch of stupid boys started to pick on me. I told them to go away and leave me alone but they started to push me. I fell a few times and when I tried to get away they grabbed me and threw me into that alley you found me in. I hit my head on the wall and everything went fuzzy. They left me alone after that and when I tried to stand up I couldn't cause of my ankle." she had tears running down her face now, as she relived the memory, "I crawled into the box, just wanted to be left alone. And then…" she smiled up at him, tears running down her face, "and then a nice man came and saved me."

Murdock fought the tears that threatened to form in his eyes as he reached out and pulled Lilly into his lap, "Well, when you get better, we'll have to go for a walk so you can point out these boys to me. I won't let stuff like that happen in any neighborhood I live in."

Lilly looked up at him and smiled, " You had stuff to tell me to right?"

Murdock's face became sad and he looked away, "Yeah, I do." he sat her down on the couch and walked over to the living room window, looking out at the street below, "There's something you should know about me and my friends. Me and the guys…" he took a deep breath, "we're wanted by the government." he heard her gasp in shock and turned to see the fear back in her eyes. He ran to kneel before her and took her tiny hands in his, "But Lilly, we didn't do what they think we did. A bad man made it look like we did something really bad. We tried to prove that it wasn't us but the government just covered it up. They were gonna put us in jail for no reason." he looked at her in the eyes, his own radiating his hope that she would listen to him, "Do you understand, do you believe me?"

Lilly looked into his eyes and after a few minutes acceptance filled her eyes, "I understand. But why won't they listen to you?"

Murdock smiled sadly up at her, "I really don't know. I don't think I'll ever understand why. But you have to know that we are wanted men. That means that you can't tell anyone about us unless we say you can. Do you understand?"

Lilly frowned but nodded, "Alright, I promise not to."

Murdock smiled, "Good, now there's more."

Lilly's eyes widened, "There is?" she asked in shock

Murdock just chuckled, "Yeah. Me and my friends, we help people. We call ourselves the A-Team. People come and hire us to help them get out of trouble."

"Like a Superhero?" asked Lilly, her eyes wide with awe

Murdock smiled, "Sort of, accept that the police would throw us in jail if they caught us. But unlike a real Superhero, we can get hurt. And sometimes we do, get hurt that is. What we do can get dangerous, with guns and stuff. And when I go on missions, I'd have to leave you behind, sometimes for a few days. Do you think, if I made you some food that you could microwave, that you would be alright?"

Lilly thought about it for a few seconds, "Of course, I'm almost 9 years old. I can take care of myself."

"Your 8? I thought you were 7." Murdock said, getting sidetracked, "When's your birthday anyway?"

Lilly looked down at her feet again, "I don't really know so I just made it New Year. That way I know when my birthday is."

Murdock just smiled down at her, thinking about how that was only 2 months away and already planning a party. Then he remembered what he was talking about and became serious again, "So you could take care of yourself, that's good. But one day…" he looked her in her bright green eyes with his solid brown ones, "one day I might not come back. And it won't be your fault that I don't, cause I would never do that to you. It'll be because I'm dead or arrested. I'm not saying that it will happen, I'm just saying that it _might_ happen. Do you understand Lilly."

Lilly looked up at him with sad eyes, "Yeah, I understand. I don't like it, but I understand."

Murdock chuckled, "Well I'm not to fond of the idea either sweet pea, but I have to tell you the truth so you know what staying with me would be like. And the is another thing I have to tell you about."

Lilly looked at him and said in a louder voice, "Are you kidding? What else?"

Murdock got off of his knees and sat down next to her on the couch, "Sometimes we fight against some bad people. And if any of them ever found out about you, some of them might hurt you." Lilly's eyes widened in fear, "Now don't get upset. I would never let anyone hurt you. But some mean men might try. But know, that if they do, I will always save you." he pulled her into his lap and held her tight to him, "Always." he took a deep breath and asked, "So you still want to stay with me?"

The room was silent for a few moments before Lilly started to pull away from him. He felt his heart break and let his arms fall to his sides so she could go. He was surprised when she sat up straight on his lap and grabbed his head in her small hands. She moved his head so she was looking him in the eyes, "Are you crazy, of course I'll stay."

Murdock smiled and then he said, "Oh yeah, that's the other thing, the crazy thing."

Lilly made a noise of frustration, "How many more things do you have to tell me."

Later that afternoon Murdock was making lunch for Lilly. He had decided that a nice bologna and cheese sandwich was just that thing along with a glass of milk. He came back into the living room to see Lilly had turned off the TV and was looking at the pictures on his bookcase. He smiled and after putting the plate before her he went over and grabbed them. He sat down next to her and asked, "Do you want to know about these pictures sweet pea?"

Lilly nodded and pointed to one of him and the team standing to a beat up white and red chopper. Murdock was wearing green scrubs and BA looked like he was gonna be sick. Hannibal had a big old smile showing from behind his cigar and Face had and arm thrown over Murdock's shoulder, laughing, "This was taken the day we met. They had broken me out of a mental ward in Mexico and I had just flown them out of a dangerous situation. I'm afraid BA didn't like my flying. Said he would never fly again, and he hasn't without being tricked into it by us. That was about 10 years ago." he ran his hand through his thinning hairline, "I had more hair then."

Lilly giggled around a bite of sandwich at Murdock's last remark. She looked at the pictures and pointed at one of Murdock and Face standing next to a jeep in the middle of a jungle. The jeep was totaled and both the boys were covered in mud. Murdock had a small bit of blood running from his nose. Laying in the back of the jeep was an unconscious BA. Standing in between Murdock and Face was a pretty woman in a once white dress, also covered head to toe in mud. They all had big smiles on their faces.

"That was about 8 years ago, somewhere in South America. We had been sent on a mission to save a diplomat's daughter who had been kidnapped by a drug runner. I got captured and Face came to save me. We had to steal a jeep and drive through the rain in the middle of the night through the jungle. The mud was flying everywhere, got all over everything. We got all the way back to base camp by the next morning without a scratch and then all of a sudden this little animal jumps out in front of us and I steer to miss it and hit a tree. Hit my head on the steering wheel and got a bloody nose for it." he pointed at BA in the back of the jeep, "We were gonna fly out of there straight away so we had to drug BA. Hannibal did it while he was helping the girl out of the jeep. He fell right into it. When Hannibal saw us all standing there he took this picture. Used a surveillance camera to do it to." Murdock had a big smile on his face as he thought of the reward that girl had given him later that night, but Lilly didn't need to know about that

Lilly finished her milk and pointed at the next picture. It was a picture of just Murdock. He was sitting on top of 4 very large and muscular men. He was bleeding from his mouth and nose, his left eye was swollen and his clothes were ripped but he had a big smile on his face. His hat was held in his hand, which was in the air, claiming himself victor. The men under him all wore army fatigues and looked about as beat up as Murdock. Behind them was what looked like some sort of home made bar with a bar made of ply wood.

"That was taken about 5 years ago in Iraq. We had just finished a mission so me and Face went drinking. It was our first day on the new base so the guys didn't really know not to pick on the crazy Alpha Unit yet. Thought they could prove something by ganging up on the crazy pilot." Murdock winked at Lilly who giggled, " I was just drinking my beer when all of a sudden this guy comes over, while Face is in the bathroom, and says, well, some things that your to young to hear or understand. I tried to be peaceful and told them to fu…go away. Then one of them takes a swing at me. After that I had to show them what they had gotten into. So these four guys start to fight me. As you can see they got in a few good licks but by the time Face got back I beat them all. Everyone in the bar was so shocked they didn't move for a while. Then face says, 'And the winner is Howling Mad Murdock'. After that someone gets out a camera and tells me, 'One for the disturbance report Captain?' cause we were all gonna get in trouble anyway. So I sit on them and threw my hand into the air." Murdock smiled and said, "I got Dish Duty for 2 weeks but those idiots got transferred to a different base and got black marks on their records." Murdock looked down at Lilly and his smile faded a little when he saw Lilly looking down at her injured ankle, "Hey, what's wrong Lilly-pad?"

Lilly glared at her ankle, "You could beat up four guys bigger then you all by yourself. How come I couldn't?"

Murdock frowned and petted her head, "Because you didn't have the training I have."

Lilly looked up at him with hope and determination in her eyes, "Would you teach me?"

Murdock's eyes widened in shock, "What?"

Lilly was smiling now, her eyes alight, "Yeah, you could teach me how to fight to. That way, if I ever see those boys again, I could beat them up myself."

"Whoa there Lilly." Murdock said putting his hand over her mouth until she stopped talking. When she fell silent he removed his hand, "Do you remember what I said about who started the fight. Cause I could have sworn that I said I tried to get out of it peacefully. The only reason I did fight was to defend myself." he pulled Lilly into his lap and put the pictures to the side, "If I did teach you anything it would be how to defend yourself. There is only ever one good reason to start a fight, and that is to defend someone you care about." he looked her in the eyes, "Promise me you'll never attack someone unless you absolutely have to. If you do that, I'll teach you how to defend yourself when your all better."

Lilly's eyes filled with shame at her previous thoughts for a few moments before a new determination replaced it, "I promise Murdock." she held up her hand, pinky extended, "Pinky swear."

Murdock took the pinky gently in his and they shook, "Pinky swear."

After Lilly had a bath and he had tucked her into bed later that night Murdock sat out in the living room. He stared at the pictures he had put back on the shelves. So many happy memories. He looked down the hallway to the open door at the end. He smiled as he thought of all the new memories he would get to make. He also realized he would have to have Face buy him a camera tomorrow so he could take some pictures.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thank you to everyone who had been reading my story and have reviewed, alerted, and favorited it. I would like to see reviews from a few more of you if you have the time. Even just to say, "Nice story". I would like to hear your opinions or any ideas you might have. Just let me know what you think. And I will need at least 1 review per chapter. That's just how I roll. Please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think cause I'm a little worried about this one. **

A week later everything was going great. Over the past week Lilly had healed perfectly and had just the day before started to walk around on her own. She couldn't walk very far but it was enough. Today they planed to let her wear her new shoes. Over the last few days Lilly had gotten a few things to put into her new room. She got some toys from BA. Things like stuffed animals, coloring books, crayons, and a few puzzles. Face had gotten her some pretty necklaces, decorated hair pins, and bracelets. Hannibal still hadn't warmed up to the idea of keeping her but Murdock was sure she was starting to grow on him.

They discovered about three days ago that Lilly couldn't read so that was something Murdock had started to teach her. So far she had been doing great. She seemed to be a quick learner and by now they could tell she acted old for her age. She could read a few main words now and Murdock was so proud. Every day they spent at least 2 hours teaching her.

That morning, when Murdock went into her room, he smiled at what he saw. She had already dressed herself and was trying to tie her own shoes. They were good shoes, and would be good until she outgrew them. Her hair was brushed and she had randomly put in some of her glittered hair clips. Murdock was so happy she could do this kind of thing herself now. Neither of them had ever been 100% comfortable with him having to help bath and dress her but had both recognized the need. Starting today that would no longer be the case.

Murdock knocked lightly on the door and smiled down at Lilly, "Good morning star shine, the Earth says hello."

Lilly giggled, "Good morning Murdock. Can you help me tie my shoes?"

Murdock smiled and sat down in front of her. He slowly showed her how to do it and had her repeat it several times until she could do it on her own. She smiled proudly at him when she did it all on her own for the first time and Murdock felt his heart swell with the same pride.

They walked down the hallway together, going slowly so Lilly could get used to her new shoes. Once they got to the kitchen Murdock asked, "So, what'll it be today sweet pea?"

Lilly smiled, "Pancakes, with chocolate chips."

Murdock smiled, "Great choice Lilly-girl. Wanna get the chocolate chips out of the pantry for me while I make the batter? I'll even let you put them in the batter before we cook them."

Lilly smiled and went over to the pantry. After the batter was done Murdock picked Lilly up and sat her down on the counter. He pulled out his old chef hat and placed it on her head. Then he said in a French accent "Now, slowly pour zee chips into zee bowl." Lilly screwed up her face in concentration as she did as instructed, "Good, zats perfect. Now watch closely." he turned to the griddle he had set up, "You pour one at a time, never any bigger zen zis." he poured some of the batter onto the griddle, demonstrating the proper form. After he had poured a few more he took out a spatula, "Now, you can tell when you need to flip it by looking at zee tops. See zose little bubbles forming. When zere are lots of small bubbles you gently push the spatula under zee pancake like so." Murdock gently put the spatula under the first pancake, "And zen you flip it like zis." he flipped it quickly, "It takes some practice but after a while you get zee hang of it. I'll get a stool so you can stand up here with me next time and give it a try. How does zat sound?"

Lilly smiled, "I can't wait. I wanna be able to cook just as good as you one day."

Murdock smiled down at the girl sitting on the counter. Suddenly there was a white flash and both Murdock and Lilly looked over to the kitchen entrance. Face stood there, holding a camera in his hand, "Aren't you two just the cutest thing."

Murdock just chuckled and replied in his normal voice, "You better believe it Facey."

Murdock took Lilly off the counter and watched as she slowly walked over and hugged Face's leg, "Good morning Face. I helped make chocolate chip pancakes this morning. And I learned how to tie my shoes, see." she held out one of her feet to show him

Face smiled and patted her head, "Well, isn't that cool. Your learning more everyday Lilly. Since your up and walking around how about we go get the others."

Lilly smiled and nodded, following Face out of Murdock's apartment and down the hall. She knocked on BA's door with her little fist. And even though the sound wasn't very loud BA still herd it. When he opened the door to see Lilly standing there in her shoes he smiled, "Hey there Lilly. Look at you. You feeling all better now?"

Lilly smiled up at the big man, "Yup, and I tied my shoes all by myself and helped Murdock make breakfast. Do you like chocolate chip pancakes BA?"

BA smiled down at Lilly and nodded, "It's one of my favorites, I can't wait to try. I'll head on over with Face and you can get Hannibal."

Lilly puffed out her chest, proud of being left by herself to do a job. She walked over to Hannibal's door and knock firmly with her small fists. When Hannibal opened the door he looked around in confusion at seeing no one. Lilly tugged on his pant leg and he looked down, "What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

Lilly looked affronted, "I can be alone. And I was told to come and get you. I helped made breakfast and now it's time to eat." then she smiled up at Hannibal, "Are you coming over for breakfast?"

Hannibal looked down at Lilly and couldn't help the small smile that formed. He just had to respect the kid, she had guts. Standing up for herself to a man twice her size, "Yeah, I'll be right over. Just have to put my shoes on."

Lilly smiled before turning around and going back to Murdock's apartment. When she entered she heard fighting from the kitchen.

"Get away from me you crazy fool. I don't want you hugging me?" BA's voice said

Lilly snuck over to the kitchen entrance and looked inside. She put her hands over he mouth to stop herself from giggling. Murdock was hanging off of BA's shoulders and BA was trying to get him off.

"But you let Lilly hug you. Why not me?" Murdock asked in a mock pout

"Cause she aint crazy like you are. Now get off me." BA finally got Murdock off him and chased him out of the kitchen, "You better hope I don't catch you fool."

They ran right past her, Murdock singing, "Run run as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the crazy man."

Lilly couldn't hold in her giggles anymore and started to laugh. Face came to stand next to her and they both laughed as BA chased Murdock around the room. Hannibal came in through the open door, cigar already in his mouth. He shut the door behind him and then whistled loudly. Murdock and BA froze where they were. Face and Lilly finished laughing. Hannibal smiled at all of them, "So, where's my breakfast?"

After breakfast Hannibal took everyone, including Lilly, into the living room, "Alright, we all knew this was coming. We got a new job." he looked over at Lilly, who looked sad, "We need to leave in a few hours, going to Oregon to help out some farmers with an oil company trying to push them out."

Lilly raised her hand quietly into the air. Hannibal looked at her and nodded, showing her she could talk, "Does that mean I'm gonna be by myself?"

"Yeah, for at least three days." Hannibal said a little sadly, "This is gonna be a test for all of us. I know none of us want to leave Lilly here on her own but in order for us to do our jobs we're gonna have to. If this doesn't work, well, we'll have to think of something else. You all have 5 hours to pack up before we leave." Hannibal looked down at Lilly, "Sorry Lilly, but this is what has to happen."

Everyone was surprised when Lilly ran to his side and hugged his leg, "It's alright, I know you have to go and be Superheroes now. Murdock told me. And like I told him, I don't like it, but I understand."

Hannibal looked down at the brave girl attached to his leg and couldn't help but smile. Then he did something he had never done. He got down on her level and hugged her quickly. When he stood he smiled at Murdock, "Captain, that's a brave little soldier you've found yourself."

Murdock smiled and said, "I know sir."

For the next 5 hours everyone got ready for the job. Murdock quickly packed his gear and then made several sandwiches and a few other things. He labeled each one for a different day and meal. He put a chair next to the counter under the microwave. He showed her what buttons to push for which meal. He also went out and bought small cartons of milk so she wouldn't have to get any glasses out. Then he made her some sheets for reading homework and showed her what he wanted her to do while he was gone.

Then, for the first time since she had lived with him, he pulled out his guns to clean them. As soon as he placed them on the living room table he turned to her, "The most important rule in this house is to never, _ever,_ touch any of these guns. They are not toys and could hurt you or someone else. Do you understand Lilly?"

Lilly looked at him seriously, "I understand."

"Good. Now, while I do this let's go over some rules." Murdock said as he sat down to clean his guns

About an hour later everyone was ready to go. They all stood in Murdock's living room, waiting for him to finish saying goodbye to Lilly, "Alright, so you know how to heat up the food and when to eat it right?" Lilly nodded, "You'll do your reading homework by the time I get back?" Lilly nodded again, "Alright, now tell me the rules."

"Don't leave the apartment. Don't answer the door. Only answer the phone if it rings twice, stops, and then rings again, cause that means it's one of you. Go to bed at 10 and wake up when the alarm goes off at 8. Don't use the oven. Take a bath every night. And keep the apartment clean." Lilly said all of this while standing up straight, like a little soldier

Murdock smiled as he hugged her close, "That's my girl. I'm gonna miss you so darn much."

Lilly hugged him back tightly, "Please be safe." she turned to look at the rest of them, "That goes for all of you guys. Keep each other safe."

They all hugged her and then they left. Lilly stood there for a few minutes just staring at the door. Then she took a deep breathe and said to herself, "You can do this Lilly. Your 8 years old, you can take care of yourself." she looked around, at a loss for what to do next. Then she saw the pictures up on the bookcase. She grabbed the one on the lower shelf, the picture of Murdock sitting on four big soldiers. She clutched it to her chest and went over to sit on the couch. Then she closed her eyes and prayed that they would all come back safely. Then she set the picture down in her lap and turned on the TV.

Murdock had finished listening to Hannibal's plan in the van. The van looked just like BA's old one. He had put in his 2 cents and it had been noted and added to the plan. It was a simple job, with lots of information given. Shouldn't take to long at all. Looking at his watch he realized it was about 9:30PM. He pulled out his cell phone and called his apartment. He let it ring twice and then hung up before dialing again. After a few rings the phone was answered and a little voice said, "Lou's pizza."

Murdock smiled, "Just like I told you Lilly-pad. I'm so proud of you."

"Hi Murdock." Lilly said happily, "I was just getting ready for bed."

Murdock smiled, "Did you brush your teeth sweet pea?"

"Yup, and I took a bath and ate dinner. I also finished my homework for the day." Lilly said proudly

"That's great sweetie." Murdock frowned when he heard a soft sniff, "Lilly, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." she sniffed again, "I just miss you is all."

Murdock smiled sadly, "I miss you to Lilly. But I'll be home as soon as we're done. I'll call you in the morning, right at 9AM. But wait for the ring code, always wait for that. And what's the safety word to show one of us is in trouble?"

"Baseball." Lilly said

"Good. Now go off to bed and I'll call you tomorrow." Murdock said

Right before he hung up he heard her say, "Murdock?"

"Yeah sweet pea?" Murdock asked

"I…I love you." Lilly whispered

Murdock smiled and a small tear formed in his eye, "I love you to Lilly-pad."

Murdock hung up and smiled at his friends, who were all smiling back, "Let's go kick some bad guy tail. Maybe I can get a souvenir from the scumbag to give to Lilly."

The next morning was a rush. They were going to leave and start the plan at 9:15AM. Murdock grabbed his phone and called quickly, using the code. He smiled when Lilly answered the phone, "Lilly's Flower Shop."

"Changing it up, nice sweet pea. Did you eat yet?" Murdock asked as he put his gun in his holster and buttered a piece of toast

"Yeah. And I tied my shoes all by myself. It only took me 2 tries." Lilly said happily

"Good job. I can't talk long this morning Lilly-pad. We're moving out here pretty soon to take down the bad guy. I'll call you when we get back. Should be home in about 2 days. Just know that I love you Lilly." Murdock said as he ate his toast

"I love you to Murdock. Please be safe." Lilly said softly

Murdock smiled softly, "I'll do my best Lilly-pad. Now go do your homework and I'll call you later today."

Later that night all four men stumbled into one of their two hotel rooms. Murdock had a fat lip and a bruise on his right cheek. Face had a small cut on his forehead and was limping slightly. BA had a shallow cut on his left arm that was wrapped with a bandana. Hannibal had some bruised ribs that he was treating tenderly.

"Easy as pie, you said." Face griped to Hannibal as BA sat down on one of the beds and Murdock looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, "They'll never see it coming, you said." Face sat down in a chair in the corner and put his leg up on the footstool as Hannibal sat down on the other bed, "Well they did see it coming. Your just lucky those police showed up sooner then we thought."

"Well it all worked out. And even if the police had been a little late we still would have been fine. We had enough ammo to hold them off and an emergency exit strategy." Hannibal took out a new cigar and lit it, "Point is we did what we set out to do and got a nice pay day for it."

Everyone turned when Murdock made a small moan, "Oh man, what is Lilly gonna say when she see's this? She's gonna freak."

BA chuckled, "You are whipped crazy man."

Face smiled, "Yeah, she's got you wrapped around her little finger."

Hannibal sighed, "I think she has all of us wrapped around her little finger. Even me." everyone looked at him with wide eyes, "Don't look at me like that. I like the kid, she's got guts."

Murdock smiled and looked to the side, "Well, I guess that means you wouldn't mind teaching her how to defend herself."

"What are you talking about?" Hannibal asked

"Well, she told me how she got those injuries, but I never told you. Four older boys ganged up on her and started picking on her. Threw her into a wall and everything." Murdock clenched his fist tightly before relaxing, "Please Hannibal." Murdock gave him his best puppy dog look

Hannibal sighed, "Alright, just stop looking at me like that."

Murdock called Lilly and told her they would be home sometime around lunch the next day.

As soon as Murdock was through his front door he was tackled back out into the hallway, Lilly latched onto his torso. BA, Face, and Hannibal stood over the two and laughed as Murdock landed at their feet.

When Lilly got a look at all of them she frowned in concern, "Are you guys alright?"

Murdock sat there in the hallway, Lilly in his lap, his arms wrapped around her, "Don't worry Lilly-girl. Just a little banged up, nothing to bad. We were really careful so we could come home to ya. And guess what. Hannibal agreed to start teaching you how to defend yourself, won't that be fun?"

Lilly smiled, "Really, thanks Hannibal." Lilly wiggled out of Murdock's arms and went over to hug each of the other three men, "I'm glade you guys are back."

Murdock lifted her up and they all went into his apartment, "I have a surprise for ya sweet pea. But you only get it if you did all your homework."

Murdock put Lilly down and she ran into her room. She returned with the home made worksheets clutched in her hand to show him. Murdock looked over it and then smiled, "Great job." he reached into his jacket pocket and took out small hairclip he had taken from the oilman's girlfriend when they had stormed his home. It was a small butterfly made of sterling silver, "Do you like it?"

Lilly squealed happily and motioned for Murdock to put it in her hair. As soon as he did she ran to the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. Once she was gone Face tapped Murdock on the shoulder, "Didn't that belong to that super model that was dating the oilman?"

Murdock just shushed him and turned back to catch Lilly as she hugged him, "Thanks Murdock, I love it."

"And that's not all. To reward you for being a good girl while you were here all by yourself, I'm gonna take you out to lunch. Go get your jacket." Murdock smiled as she cheered and ran back to her room

Hannibal stepped forward, "Murdock, your gonna spoil that girl."

Murdock just smiled, "Only every now and then, I promise."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: This chapter might not be the best in the beginning but I feel good about the second part. I promise that after this I will be writing happy stuff for a while. After all, I did categorize this as a Family/Humor fic so I should get to the real humor. Please let me know what you think of this chapter, I'm nervous about it. **

**Sidebar: I just posted a crossover in Boondock Saints with A-Team movie. It's the second one I've done. Please check it out.**

Murdock held Lilly's hand as they walked down the street. He knew a place a few blocks away that served great pasta. He watched her next to him as she smiled in the sunlight. He felt guilty at not having let her outside in over a week. Granted most of that was because she was injured but he could have at least taken her up on the roof. He smiled as that thought gave him and idea for her surprise party next month. A roof top BBQ would be just the thing.

He came back to himself as Lilly laughed when a street performer waved at her. He suddenly swept her up and started to swing her around, "And Lilly's flying high, above the clouds."

Lilly squealed in surprise and then started to laugh harder then he had ever heard. The sound made him feel as if he was flying himself. As they neared the restaurant he set her down. They walked in and were seated next to the front window.

In the middle of the meal Murdock had to excuse himself for a bit to go to the bathroom. He told Lilly to be good and to not wander off while he was gone. When he came back, what he saw made his blood boil. Standing around his and Lilly's table were four boys of about 16. They were laughing cruelly at a crying Lilly who now had her food on her head. It didn't take Murdock even a second to realize these were the boys who had hurt her in the first place.

As he walked quickly in between tables to get back to her he heard them talking to her.

"Look at the little brat. Her new clothes are all ruined."

"Wonder what idiot took pity on the snot?"

"Whoever it is must be crazy to think she's worth a damn."

Murdock didn't even slow down at he punched the last one who had spoken right in the face, knocking him to the ground, "You leave her alone you son of a bitch."

The boys stared at him in anger, one from the floor with a bloody nose. But Murdock had turned his back on the boys and was checking on Lilly, who was sobbing into his chest, "Lilly, are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"The dumped my pasta on my head." she wailed

Suddenly a glass of water was dumped on the both of them and the empty glass shattered over Murdock's head. Lilly screamed in fear as Murdock held her tighter to protect her from the broken glass. When it stopped falling he pushed Lilly under the table and turned to the boys, blood dripping from the back of his head, "Which one of you little bastards did that?" he asked coldly

"Why does it matter to you pops?" asked the boy with the bleeding nose

At this point the restaurant was quiet. All the customers had fled and the wait staff stood to the side. But Murdock couldn't seem to care as he responded by saying, "So I know which one to beat to a bloody pulp. But then I guess it doesn't matter, since I'm gonna beat you all for what you did to my little Lilly."

"You mean that street kid hiding under the table? Why would you care about her?" asked one other the three that wasn't bleeding…yet

"Yeah. What, did you pick her off the street to entertain you or some…" the last boy didn't finish his sentence before Murdock had swung around in a perfect roundhouse that connected with the boy's jaw, breaking it instantly

The boys looked at their friend who was writhing on the floor, howling in pain. They looked at the man now standing before them, blood dribbling down his shirt from his own injury. He had a manic grin on his face and motioned with both his hands for them to attack him, "Whose next?"

They all attacked him at once, but it was over in seconds. He hit the boy with the bloody nose twice in the ribs and then kicked him in the chest, making him fly into, and break, a nearby table. The second boy tried to punch him but Murdock caught his arm, hurling the boy into another table, breaking it as well and covering him with the food that had been on it. The last boy tried to repeat Murdock's roundhouse kick. Murdock caught his ankle and in one swift movement brought his full weight down onto the teen's knee, breaking his leg with a horrid sounding crack.

As all the boys lay moaning and crying around the restaurant Murdock leaned down and picked up Lilly from under the table. She was covered in red sauce and noodles. Her eyes were wide with terror and shock at what had just happened. She clutched onto Murdock's shirt for dear life. Murdock held her tight as he walked over to the wait staff. He pulled out his wallet and went through part of the money he had made on the last job. He gave the manager $700, "That should cover the damages and our bill. Call the cops and tell them these boys attacked an average looking guy who kicked their asses. Also, tell the police that these guys have been beating up homeless people, including little children. I'm sorry I cause so much trouble." without another word he walked into the managers office, erased the tape, and then left.

As he walked down the back alley, he whispered to Lilly, "Lilly, it's over now. I don't think those boys are ever going to bother anyone again."

Lilly looked up at him, "You saved me, just like you promised." she said weakly

Murdock smiled sadly down at the girl in his arms, "Of course I did sweet pea. I always do what I promise."

Murdock carried the crying girl down the back alleys to avoid being stared at by idiots on the street. The whole time he muttered soothing words to her and just let her cry. He snuck into the back of the building and quietly went up to his apartment. He helped Lilly get undressed and sat next to the tub as she cleaned the pasta sauce off herself in the tub, unable to leave her alone. He helped dry her off and blow dry her hair. Then he put her in her pajamas, all the crying having made her very tired. He sat with her in her bed, holding her until she fell asleep. That's when the dull pain in the back of his head reminded him of his own injury. But he was so tired, just couldn't find the energy to leave Lilly's side. He decided he would just close his eyes for a few minutes, what could it hurt?

Lilly woke slowly from a peaceful sleep. She snuggled up against something warm. She opened her eyes to see Murdock curled up next to her, sleeping with his arms around her. That's when she remembered the day before. She was surprised to find she wasn't scared of the memory, but proud. She didn't remember the fear, but the awe she had felt. Murdock had beat the four boys so fast it had made her head spin. And he had done it just for her. She smiled up at Murdock and shook him to wake him.

But he didn't wake up. She shook him harder and his head fell to the side. Lilly gasped at what was revealed. The back of Murdock's head was covered in blood and cut badly. There was blood on her pillow from where he had been laying. She struggled from his grip and started to push against his chest, trying to wake him. When he still wouldn't wake she started to shout his name. He still didn't wake.

Lilly ran out of her room, out of the apartment, and to Hannibal's apartment door. She started pounding non-stop on his door yelling, "Hannibal, please, help."

Hannibal opened the door, looking like he had been sleeping. She heard the two other apartment doors open behind her, meaning she had also woken BA and Face. Hannibal looked down at her in concern, "Lilly, it's 3AM. What's wrong? Where's Murdock?"

Lilly didn't know what to say. She just grabbed Hannibal's hand and dragged him back to Murdock's apartment. BA and Face following in confusion. Lilly dragged them into the apartment and back to her room. She pointed at Murdock, propped up on a bloody pillow, and said quietly, "He won't wake up."

Instantly Hannibal shouted for Face to get the first aid kit and the blood transfusion kit. Then he told BA to get Murdock out into the living room and get ready for a blood transfusion since he and Murdock had the same blood type. Lilly just tried to stay out of the way.

Once they had moved Murdock to the living room floor they got to work on him. Lilly watched as the cuts were cleaned and stitched before his head was wrapped in bandages. Then BA was laid out next to him and the transfusion kit hooked up to them both. Soon enough Murdock was being given BA's blood directly. When that was done they took Murdock back to his own room and changed him into dark grey pajamas before tucking him in.

Lilly tried to distract herself from the situation by looking around Murdock's room. She had never been in it before. The walls and ceiling were a sky blue with hand painted clouds all over the place along with a few birds and on the left wall was a plane painted to look like it was about to fly out the window. The floor was clear of any clutter. The chest of drawers only had a small camera on top of it as well as some spare change. She could see a box under his bed, she guessed that was where the guns were. His closet door was open. The only things in it were a nice suite, a tuxedo, and what looked like a military uniform. On his side table was a novelty lamp that was shaped like Woody the Woodpecker. The lamp was on and it's head glowed. And his clock was just like the one she had. His bedding was the same color as his walls and had small cartoon airplanes on them.

Lilly was taken back to reality when Face's hands landed on her shoulders. She looked forward to see he was kneeled down in front of her, worry plastered on his face, "Lilly, what happened?"

That did it. Lilly stated to cry as she latched onto Face's neck. He picked her up and patter her back while she sobbed out the story of what had happened at lunch. She didn't want to look up and see the angry looks she was sure they all had on their faces. It was all her fault that Murdock was the way he was, and she said so out loud.

Face set her down on the edge of the bed and she saw all three of the men were gathered around her. Hannibal spoke sternly to her, "This is not your fault Lilly."

BA nodded, "Yeah, don't ever think that Lilly."

Face tried to wipe the tears off her face but they were quickly replace, "We could never blame you for this Lilly, and neither could Murdock."

"But it's all my fault. If it wasn't for me he wouldn't have been there." Lilly said before she started to hiccup

Hannibal leaned forward, "Lilly, look at me." Lilly looked into his eyes, "Murdock would have it no other way. None of us would. We all care about you. And when he wakes up, because he will wake up, he'll tell you he would do it all over again." he pulled her into his arms, "We all love you Lilly. We will never hate you, no matter what."

Lilly cried as they passed her back and forth, whispering words of comfort into her ears. Eventually she crawled under the covers with Murdock and snuggled into his side. BA had brought in the chairs from the kitchen. He and Hannibal sat in the chairs while Face sat on top of the chest of drawers and leaned back against the wall.

Murdock slowly woke to a dull pain in his head. He tried to remember what had happened. Before he could do that, he registered the sound of several people breathing around him and felt someone latched onto his side and chest. He opened his eyes but quickly closed them again against the sudden light. He tried again, slower this time. He stared up at the ceiling above him. It was his own bedroom ceiling, painted clouds and all. He tried to move his head to look at what was covering his chest but it cause him pain when he moved to fast. He moved very slowly and gasped when he saw it was Lilly.

That's when memories rushed back to him of the day before. But he didn't remember falling asleep in his room. They had fallen asleep in her room. And why did his head hurt so much. Oh, right, he had had a glass broken over the back of it.

Suddenly a sound to his right caused him to look over quickly, making him want to vomit. He fought back the urge and looked at what had made the noise. It was Hannibal, sitting in a chair next to his bed. Next to him was BA, still asleep. And out of the corner of his eye he could see Face asleep on his dresser, leaning back against the wall. Hannibal was looking at him with relieved but worried eyes, "Hannibal, what happened?" Murdock whispered

Hannibal asked, "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I fell asleep in Lilly's room. What am I doing in here? And why is everyone here?" Murdock asked in confusion

"Well, from Lilly told us, you passed out from blood loss. We were all sound asleep when she comes and bangs on my door, screaming bloody murder. It's a wonder no one called the police. She drags all of us into her room and we find you on her bed, blood on the pillow. Your lucky she came and got us when she did. Another hour and you could have died." he glared softly at Murdock, "What the hell were you thinking Captain?"

"I guess I was so worried about Lilly I forgot about myself." Murdock frowned sadly, "Did she tell you what happened yesterday?"

"Yeah, and all I have to say is that I'm proud of you Captain. You did great right up to the point where you almost killed yourself by accident." Hannibal smiled softly, "Now get some sleep Captain."

"Not tired, just in pain." Murdock said with a small smile

"Murdock?" Lilly asked sleepily from her position on his chest, looking up at him with sleepy eyes, "I'm sorry I got you hurt."

Murdock just smiled as best he could, "I'd do it again in a heartbeat sweet pea." he glanced over at the clock and saw it was about 8:30AM, "Hey, why don't you wake all these lazy guys up and help them make some breakfast for me."

Lilly rubbed the sleep from her eyes and nodded, eager to do something to help Murdock. She kissed him on the cheek and said, "Thank you." before jumping off the bed and into BA's lap.

Lilly told BA that they were going to make Murdock some breakfast. BA smiled and nodded before grabbing Face off the dresser, not even letting him wake fully before pulling him out into the hall with one arm while he held Lilly in the other.

Once the trio had left Hannibal leaned forward once more, "Captain, how much pain are you in?"

"I think some nice pills would do me good." Murdock smiled at Hannibal, "So, did BA finally get to stitch me up?"

Over the next 2 days Murdock was confined to his bed and helped to walk whenever he had to go to the bathroom, and he hated it. He knew it was stupid to be petty about it since he had treated Lilly similarly when he had first found her, but he had never been very good at being the patient. He was at least happy that he was never alone for very long. Someone was always in the room with him. The guys took turns watching the apartment and feeding him. They would come in from time to time to change his bandages. But Lilly almost never left his side. She even brought him some of her toys to play with.

When he could move on the third day without getting the urge to vomit they let him out of bed to walk around on his own. The first thing he did was take a shower, being careful of his stitches. Then he tried to make breakfast but his motor functions were still a little messed up. He guessed they would be better by tomorrow.

He was right because the next afternoon he made his own lunch, a nice sandwich. The day after that he could run after Lilly around the apartment. The day after that he put on his shoes and demanded that he and Lilly go for a walk. She changed into a light green dress he suggested and a sun hat that Face had bought her.

They walked down the street to a small park. Murdock hid the bandages under his hat, and also hid his camera in his pocket.

He sat on a bench near by while she played with a few other kids. She made friends quickly and he smiled warmly as she helped a few other kids build a sandcastle in a sandbox. When she wasn't looking he took out his camera and took a picture. She turned just as he was putting the camera back in his pocket and waved at him. He smiled and waved back.

He was startled as suddenly a hand tapped his shoulder. He looked up to see a beautiful woman standing there. She had short brown hair that went to her shoulders, curling slightly at the end in a sort of flip. She had bright hazel eyes that sparkled in the sunlight. He skin was slightly tanned and smooth. She wore a plain white shirt and jeans, a nice casual outfit. She had a big smile on her face as she asked, "Can I sit here?"

Murdock just smiled and scooted over to give her room, "Why sure. It's a public park after all."

The lady smiled and sat next to him. She held out her hand, "My name is Mary Hudson."

Murdock shook it warmly, "James Murdock, pleased to meet you." he pointed out to the playground, "Which little crumb-snatcher belongs to you?" he asked good naturedly

She chuckled and pointed to a small girl who was playing with Lilly. The girl looked like a mini version of her mother except her hair was longer and up in a ponytail. If he had to guess he would say they were about the same age, "That's my little Lisa over there, playing with that cute little girl in the green dress. Which one is yours?"

Murdock just smiled, "That cute little one in the green dress. Her name is Lilly."

The woman looked startled and then smiled, "Well isn't that cute, Lilly and Lisa." she looked at the girls playing, "They seem to get along don't they?"

Murdock's smile widened, "Yeah, I'm glade."

"I've never seen you around before. Are you new to the area?" Mary asked

"Um, yeah. Moved to the area a little over 2 weeks ago." Murdock lied. What was he supposed to say? That he had just found her in an alley and didn't legally have any right to her, "It's a little tough raising her myself in a new place but I got friends to help me out."

"Hey, I know what that's like, single mom here. If you ever need tips just give me a call." Mary said with a smile

Murdock and Mary chatted for a while. Suddenly Lilly and Lisa ran over to their respective guardians. Lilly climbed up into Murdock's lap while Mary picked up Lisa, "Murdock, guess what?"

"What?" Murdock asked

"Lisa invited me to play at her house tomorrow. But only if it's alright with her mommy." Lilly looked over at Mary with hopeful eyes

Mary looked down at Lisa who begged, "Please mom, please."

Mary chuckled and said to Murdock, "It's alright with me if it's alright with you Mr. Murdock."

Murdock just smiled, "Just call me Murdock, and it's just fine with me. Now why don't you two go finish that sandcastle while Mary and I talk it over alright?"

The girls squealed with joy and ran off to finish their castle. When they were gone Mary asked, "Why does she call you Murdock?"

Murdock looked over at Mary, "I adopted her. Didn't think it right to have her call me dad until she wanted to. So I let her call me what everyone else does."

"No one calls you James?" Mary asked curiously

"Nope, no one ever really has since my mom died. I don't mind really." Murdock shrugged

Marry just smiled, "Well, would you mind if I called you James?"

"I don't see why not Mary. But you'll be the only one, just so you know. In fact, I don't know if my friends even remember that's my first name." Murdock said, looking thoughtful

He and Mary set up the play date. It turned out she lived about 5 blocks from them. Murdock took Lilly home. She talked non-stop about her new friend all the way back to the apartment. Once she was calm enough to stop talking he sat her down in the kitchen while he made spaghetti.

"I know how excited you are to have a friend Lilly. But you have to remember the rules. You can't tell anyone about who we really are." Murdock reminded her as he stirred the boiling pot

"I know Murdock." Lilly sighed

"And also, you can't tell anyone that I leave you alone to go off for days on end. They wouldn't understand. And hey, maybe, if you become good enough friends with Lisa you could stay at her house while I'm away." Murdock suggested as he turned the heat down for the sauce so it could simmer

"Yeah, I never thought of that. Do you think her mom would be okay with that?" Lilly asked

"Well, not right away. Maybe in a few months." Murdock served them both the finished food and sat down across from her, "We'll just have to wait and see sweet pea."


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning was a rush of activity. Lilly ran all over the place, gathering toys into a sack, changing her clothes a few times, and asking each of the team at one point to help her with her hair. Finally Murdock plucked her from the ground and said, "Slow down Lilly. We aren't leaving for another hour. Just calm down alright."

"But I want everything to be perfect. I've never had a friend before and I don't want to mess it up." Lilly said as she wriggled in Murdock's arms, trying to get away

Murdock grinned as she tried to get away. He gently threw her onto the couch and started to tickle her. Lilly shrieked with laughter and tried to fight Murdock off of her while yelling at BA to come and save her.

Murdock saw suddenly hauled off of Lilly by BA, "I got him Lilly." he then pressed Murdock to the floor and pinned him, "Quick, get him."

Lilly suddenly attacked Murdock and began to tickle him back. Murdock squirmed hard, laughing so hard he was crying. Lilly yelled, "Say uncle, say it."

"Uncle, uncle. Please have mercy." Murdock begged through his laughter

BA released him from his hold and all three of them just lay there on the floor for a few minutes. Murdock suddenly got to his feet, "I have an idea. How about we make some cookies really fast so you have a present to give your new friend. We have and hour to do it in after all."

The next hour was spent making chocolate chip cookies. Lilly was wearing her chef hat and also had a new stool so she could stand next to Murdock and help him. Face came in just as they were taking the cookies out of the oven. He reached forward to take a cookie but was hit on the back of his hand with a spatula.

"Ow." he yelped and drew his hand to his chest

Lilly waved the spatula at him, "These aren't for you Face. These are for Lisa."

Murdock just smiled at Face from over Lilly's head, "That's right Face. But she might let you have one if you ask real nice and don't try to steal it."

Face sighed, "Lilly, can I please have a cookie?"

Lilly smiled, "Yes you may." she picked one out and handed it to him

After they had out the cookies in a Tupperware container, and had gathered everything Lilly would need for the day, they set out for Lisa's house. As they walked down the street Lilly told Murdock about all the things the girls had planed to do that day. When they got to the apartment building where Lisa and Mary lived they went up to the top floor and knocked on the door marked 504.

Mary answered the door an smiled at them, "Right on time James. Come on in, both of you. Lisa, Lilly is here."

Murdock and Mary watched at Lisa ran into the entrance hall and squealed happily at the sight of her new friend. The girls ran off to play. Murdock followed Mary out of the entrance hall and looked around. Mary's apartment was in a nicer part of town and was a bit larger then his. The carpet was a nice cream color, as were the walls. She had an open living room with large windows letting in the sunlight. The kitchen was off to the side. There was a door leading to is as well as a serving window that let you see whatever was going on in the kitchen. The whole place was warm and welcoming. He felt a bit self-conscious as he thought about his own, small, low budget apartment. He noticed that there was a small hallway leading off to what was most likely two bedrooms and a bathroom, much like his own place.

Murdock was brought back from his examination by Mary's hand gently touching his arm, "Would you like some iced tea?"

Murdock smiled, "That would be nice. But I warn you, I'm a sweet tea boy."

Mary chuckled lightly, "We don't drink any other kind in this house."

He followed her into the kitchen. She had a slightly bigger table then he did that was made to sit at least 4 and at most 6. Murdock sat down in one of the chairs while she turned to the fridge to pull out the tea. He took off his ball cap and scratched at his bandages. He turned quickly when he heard a gasp of shock.

Mary was looking at the bandages on his head with wide eyes, "James, what happened?"

Murdock flushed slightly at her reaction, "Oh, nothing really. Just, um, a work related accident."

Mary poured two glasses and brought them over. She sat next to Murdock and asked, "What kind of work do you do?"

Murdock flinched, "Um, I guess you could call it a form of private security. Every now and then I get hurt but never anything to bad. Just a little thing me and some army buddies of mine do."

Mary smiled, "You were in the army?"

"Yup, Captain James 'Howling Mad' Murdock, pilot, at your service." he winked at her. Mary giggled and swatted him lightly on the arm, "So, you know what I do. What about you. What's the preferred job of single moms these days?"

Mary just chuckled, "I'm head nurse at the local emergency room."

Murdock just smiled, "So that's why you freaked out about my head." he took her and in his and said in a noble British accent, "Worry not for me my beautiful healer. For in the line of duty, injuries are a way of life."

Mary just laughed and Murdock soon joined her. They drank iced tea and talked about books and TV for a few hours, getting refills when needed. Suddenly the girls ran in and announced that they were both hungry. Murdock looked up at a clock on the wall and his eyes widened when he saw it was already 2PM, "Well, time does fly when your having fun." he got to his feet, "Mary, would you mind if I made all you lovely ladies lunch today."

"Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that." Mary said, starting to stand

Murdock gently put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her to sit back down, "Your not asking, I'm volunteering."

Mary just smiled shyly, "Well, then I guess I have no choice." Mary looked down at Lilly, "Is he a good cook Lilly?"

"Oh yeah. He makes good food. You should try his curry, it's great." Lilly said excitedly

Mary looked up at Murdock, "Well aren't you just full of surprises James. So, what are you going to make?"

Murdock just smiled secretly, "You'll just have to wait and see." he started to speak with a French accent, "No, everyone out. I need space to work." he shook both his hands, motioning for them to shoo

Once the girls were all out of the kitchen the all sat in the living room and waited for lunch while watching TV. Mary looked down at Lilly, looking closely. She seemed healthy and happy. Her clothes looked new, as did her shoes. She had brought toys so Mary could tell Murdock was taking good care of her. She did all this out of habit more then anything.

As they waited they heard several mysterious sounds from the kitchen, as well as several different languages, only a few of which Mary could identify. After about 45 minutes the kitchen's serving window was open and three plates were set on it. James Murdock stood there, some sort of sauce on his face. When Mary got a look at the plates her eyes widened. What looked like home make fries and sloppy Joes sat on the three plates. She knew it all had to be made from scratch because she didn't have Sloppy Joe mix or frozen fries in the fridge. When she looked into the kitchen behind him she saw it was still clean, with a few dirty things in the sink. There was also another plate of food on the counter.

James had taken off his jacket and over shirt while cooking. This showed a t-shirt that had a picture of Snoopy as Joe Cool on it. The t-shirt showed off his strong , muscular frame that was hidden under that jacket. On his upper left are she could see an Army Ranger tattoo.

Murdock smiled and said, "Ladies, dig in." he grabbed his own food and leaned against the other side of the service window while Mary, Lilly and Lisa sat on the stools to eat.

"How in the world did you do all of this so quickly? I didn't even know I had the right ingredients for this." Mary asked as she took a bite for the clearly homemade fries, "And wow, this is good."

"Well, I learned to make the most of what I had to work with while I was in the army. You should see what I can do with army rations. I'm a miracle worker, I tell ya." he smiled with pride and puffed out his chest a little

Mary giggled again. She thought about how she seemed to be doing a lot of that lately, "Don't get a big head James, it's unattractive."

Murdock just snorted before finishing his own food and moving toward the dirty dishes in the sink. Mary ran into the kitchen and blocked his path, "Oh no you don't James. You cooked, I'll clean." when it looked like he was going to protest she gave him a mock glare, "That's and order Captain."

Murdock just chuckled and ran his hand through his hair, avoiding the bandages, "Well, I guess I have no choice then." he sat down at the table and said, "Have at it Mary."

The girls ran off to play some more and the kitchen was filled with a comfortable silence. The only sounds were of running water and scrubbing of plates. When Mary was putting the clean dishes away Murdock asked, "Mary, what are you doing for Thanksgiving next week?"

"Not much. Just a quiet dinner with me and Lisa. Did you have something in mind?" Mary asked as she finished putting the dishes away and sat back down next to Murdock again

"Well, I was wondering if you might want to spend it with me, Lilly, and my friends. I just thought you might like it." then he winked at her, "And if you come over, you can help me stuff the turkey."

Mary just laughed at the way he had phrased it, "I don't know James. I wouldn't want to be any trouble."

"Oh, it's not a free dinner Mary. You would have to help me cook and clean up after. Plus, you would have to deal with my buddies to. It might be a bit of a tight fit at my place, cause it's not as big as yours, but we can make due. What do you say?" Murdock was almost bouncing in his seat he was so excited at the idea

Mary thought about everything he had just said and then returned his smile, "On one condition. Since your apartment would be, as you say, a tight fit, we have dinner here instead."

Murdock jumped from his chair and whooped, one arm in the air with joy, "Oh, this is gonna be great."

The girls ran into the kitchen and Lilly asked, "Murdock, what's going on?"

Murdock ran over and picked Lilly up, spinning her in the air before throwing her onto his shoulder, "Guess what sweet pea. We get to have Thanksgiving with Mary and Lisa next week."

Lilly squealed with delight. She wouldn't say it out loud in front of Mary and Lisa but she had never had a real Thanksgiving before. Now she would get to spend it with everyone in her new life. She just knew that next week couldn't get here soon enough.

Over the next week Mary and Murdock were on the phone whenever they could be. They were planning the dinner down to the last sweet roll. When Murdock had told the team Hannibal hadn't been to happy about it. He said it threatened their safety. But then Murdock had thrown Lilly at him and he had caved like a rusty bridge.

Thanksgiving morning Murdock and Lilly left the apartment at 9AM to go to the store. They had ordered a few things to be held for them so they could pick them up that morning. They had brought BA with them to help carry the food. When they got back to the apartment Murdock did some preparation like shelling string beans and mixing the stuffing to be cooked at Mary's house. At around 11 everyone went off to Mary's apartment.

The first meetings went alright and Mary seemed to like them, as did Lisa. Mary and Murdock went to work in the kitchen almost instantly. This left Face, Hannibal, and BA on the couch in the living room watching sports. The girls were in Lisa's room playing some imaginary game.

During the game Face got up to use the bathroom. As he was coming back he went by Lisa's room. He peeked in to see what they were doing and smiled. The girls were having a tea party with Lisa's stuffed animals. Before he could walk farther he was seen. Before he could get away he had been dragged into the room, sat down in a chair, and a scarf thrown around his neck. No matter what he did they just wouldn't let him leave.

Face looked up in horror when there was the flash of a camera. There he sat, a small teacup in his hands, a sparkly scarf around his neck. And in the doorway, manic grin on his face, was BA. And in his hand was a camera, "You've never looked better Face."

A few hours later everyone was sitting in the living room, a buffet set up at the Service window. Everyone had plates heaped high with food. In the center of the room stood Hannibal, his beer raised as he said, "Before we eat lets acknowledge who brought us all together today. Murdock, Mary, we all thank you to what you did today. This all looks great." he raised his beer slightly higher, "To our cooks."

"Here here." said the room as one while Murdock and Mary both blushed and smiled at all of those around them

The meal was just as good as it looked. Everyone laughed, ate, and were all around happy. Pictures were taken of happy faces. Dessert was just as grand with homemade pie and ice cream.

When everyone was done eating Murdock and Mary once again retreated into the kitchen, the girls to Lisa's room, and BA, Face, and Hannibal returned to the couch.

Face looked up when he heard noises from the kitchen. He snuck over to the service window and peeked in. What he saw made him smile and run for the camera. In the kitchen, Murdock and Mary where having a small fight with the water and bubbles from the dishes. Face snapped a few secret pictures before he was spotted. When he was spotted, Murdock took the spray hose out and sprayed Face right in his name sake.

At around 8PM the A-Team left Mary's house. Murdock had a sleeping Lilly in his arms. And as he tucked her in that night he smiled. He could not remember ever being so happy.

**AN: Okay, first off, this chapter was shorter then I wanted but I ran out of steam. Secondly, I know it's not as good as normal but I'm not so good with writing fics about holidays. But I knew I couldn't just skip over Thanksgiving and Christmas and go straight to New Years Eve. Speaking of which, next chapter will be Christmas. Please let me know what you thought.**


	6. Chapter 6

Murdock was awoken from a peaceful sleep by Lilly jumping onto his stomach, "Oh, sweet pea, what are you doing? Are you trying to flatten me?"

"IT'S CHRISTMAS, IT'S CHRISTMAS." she shouted cheerily as she jumped up and down next to him on his bed

Murdock's own eyes widened as he realized she was right. He sat up in his bed and said, "Stand at attention Corporal Lilly."

Lilly stopped bouncing, climbed off the bed, and stood to attention in front of Murdock, "Your orders sir?"

Murdock smiled, "Get dressed and then wake the troops. We will meet in the living room in 30 minutes."

Lilly saluted sloppily, "Sir yes sir." and then she was off like a shot to get into her Christmas dress

Murdock himself got dressed quickly. While Lilly was getting ready he was running around the house checking everything. In the small living room was a small tree. Underneath it were several presents. Every year the team would draw names out of a hat. That way they would each give and get one gift. This year Murdock had picked Face's name. But they had broken that rule for Lilly, and had each bought her something. They had also bought a group present for both Lisa and Mary.

He checked the fridge and got out everything he had made the night before. He turned on the oven and put a Christmas ham in to start cooking, it would be done in a few hours. He would warm up the other food later when the ham was done. After checking that he did a quick sweep to make sure the apartment was as clean as it could be. He then pushed all the furniture against the wall so they would have room for everyone to open presents and to sit on the floor if they wanted.

He wanted to make sure everything was perfect for Lilly's first Christmas with him and the guys. The fact that Mary and Lisa were coming over for the day just made everything better. His train of thought was interrupted when Lilly came back into the apartment with three sleepy looking men trailing behind. They were all dressed and up, and that was all he could really ask for.

Murdock got to work making pancakes as his friends joined Lilly in the living room. Murdock was making extra this morning because any minute now he would hear…

KNOCK KNOCK

Both he and Lilly ran to the door and opened it.

"Merry Christmas." they said as one

Mary and Lisa smiled back at them. Lisa was holding two big sacks with presents in them while Mary was carrying foil covered pies and cookies. Mary and Lisa entered the apartment and Lilly dragged Lisa back to see her room as soon as the presents had been placed under the small tree with the rest.

They guys all got up and came to greet Mary. Ever since Thanksgiving they had all grown a soft spot for the kind hearted nurse. They also had grown to like Lisa. Lisa and Lilly were as good as sisters at this point, they were such good friends.

Mary started looking around the apartment and smiled, "It's a very nice place you have here. I think it suites you."

Murdock beamed, "Well, I do try to keep a nice place." he led her into the kitchen, "I will say though that I like your kitchen better, more elbow room." he showed her the pre-made food, "I thought this way we could all send more time together, instead of hiding in the kitchen."

Mary just giggled, "Makes sense I suppose. So, let's go and talk with your friends."

Over the next few hours Mary talked with everyone. The guys told stories about some of their older missions. Mary noticed that they didn't really talk about anything they had done recently but decided they had their own reasons for this. Murdock would excuse himself from time to time to check up on the ham in the oven and Mary would excuse herself to check on the girls. When the dinner was ready they called the girls in and once again did a buffet style serving.

Once everyone was in the living room, the adults sitting on chairs and couches while the girls sat on the floor, they dug in. As soon as dessert was over the fun part started.

"PRESENTS." both girls shouted in glee as they attacked the pile of brightly colored boxes. Face hurried over to help them sort the presents into piles next to their respective owners.

The first to open their presents were the girls. Lisa and Lilly each received several toys, clothes, and jewelry. When Lilly opened a small box to show a picture of her and Murdock cooking pancakes, her in a chef's hat, she squealed with joy and hugged Face, who had given her the picture. Murdock smiled a silent thanks at his best friend, who returned it with a smile of welcome.

And then it came time for the adults to open their presents. Murdock watched as Face picked up his present and opened it to reveal a bottle of cologne. When Face saw it he gasped and handled it with care as he took it out of the box, "Murdock, where in the world did you get this stuff? They only make 200 bottles a year."

Everyone stared at Murdock who just shrugged and gave Face a cheeky grin, "I know a guy, owes me for saving his ass in Iraq. Turns out he works for that company now."

Face hugged Murdock tightly before carefully placing the bottle back in the box, "Thanks man, this is perfect."

Murdock opened his present from BA to find a model airplane. It looked like one of the newer models he hadn't built yet. He couldn't wait to put it together. He leapt onto BA and hugged him. No matter how hard BA tried he couldn't get Murdock to let go until he hugged Murdock back.

Hannibal received a box of Cuban cigars from Face and a tasteful blue button up shirt from Mary. And BA got a new, high end tool set from Hannibal and a roadside emergency kit from Mary, "Just in case, since you travel so often." she had said. Mary gave Face the phone number and picture of one of her friends from work, "She really wants to meet you."

When Murdock opened his own present he was stunned. He slowly reached into the box and withdrew the white aviator scarf out of the box along with the flight goggles. He had always wanted this stuff, but being in the army had never been able to get his hands on them. He smiled so wide his cheeks ached but he didn't care. He pulled her into a tight hug and whispered into her ear, "Thanks Mary."

They all turned to Mary as she opened her gifts from them. BA had gotten her a dish rack for her kitchen, remembering her complaining about having no where to put dishes while she dried them. Hannibal got her a decorative vase of bright yellow and red. Face got her a bottle of expensive but subtle perfume. Murdock held his breath as she opened his present.

Mary stared down at the little box in her hand. Inside that little box was a necklace. It wasn't fancy or special in any way. It was a simple golden chain, simple and elegant. She slowly lifted it out of the box and ran it through her fingers, "Oh James, this is beautiful."

Murdock let out a breath he had not known he was holding, "Really, you like it?"

Mary smiled, "Oh, I love it. Come over here and put it on me."

Murdock ran over quickly. As she moved her hair out of the way he clasped the necklace for her. The contrast of the gold on her pale skin took Murdock's breath away and he whispered, "Beautiful." under his breath

Mary was smiling as she looked down at herself, "Oh, thank you James."

Murdock blushed and looked away, putting his hands in his pockets, "Your welcome Mary. I'm glade you like it."

Mary just smiled at him and leaned up to kiss Murdock on his cheek, "I love it."

Murdock turned a brighter shade of red and said, "I'm gonna just…be in the kitchen…dishes ya know." before practically running from the room

Mary looked confused and turned to the other men in the room. Each of them with a knowing smile on his face, "What's with him?" she asked

"Oh, he's fine. Just not used to women kissing him on the cheek is all." Face said

Mary blushed a little herself and looked down at her feet.

That night, after everyone had left, Murdock was tucking in Lilly. Lilly was yawning and snuggled into her covers, "Goodnight Lilly." he whispered as he kissed her forehead

Lilly just snuggled deeper into her covers and said, "Goodnight daddy."

Murdock froze. Had she just called him…she had. He smiled softly and didn't fight the tear that came to his eye. He tucked Lilly in a little tighter and then, as he closed the door to her room, he whispered, "Best Christmas present ever."

**AN: I hoped you liked this chapter. I know it's a little short but I'm really bad with holidays. Anyway, next chapter is Lilly's birthday. Please let me know what you think as always.**


	7. Chapter 7

Murdock smiled as he looked at the roof in front of him. He had spent the last few hours setting up the party he had been planning for 2 months. Tonight was New Years Eve, Lilly's birthday. Streamers were hung everywhere it was possible, some with balloons hanging from them. The balloons were several different neon colors and had a large number 9 drawn by hand on each one. A large table had been set up, procured by Face just for the occasion. He had set up a BBQ grill that would be perfect for his special way of cooking. He hoped it wouldn't scare Mary to much. He had the cake set up on the center of the long table. It was huge and had pink and white frosting. On the top is said, "Happy 9th B-Day Lilly-Pad." in light green frosting. Murdock had stayed up all night to make it in secret, frosting and all. Scattered on the rest of the table were chips and soda as well as sequins to make the table sparkle in the early afternoon sun.

Murdock just stood back and admired it. He also had a surprise for when the sun went down. Nothing big, just something small and fun. He double checked that all the coolers had ice and that all his cooking tools were set out, including several shotgun shells. He decided to not include his special marinade because if it had caused Face partial paralysis he didn't want to think what it might do to Lilly, Lisa, or Mary.

Murdock looked down at his wristwatch and noticed it was time to go and get the party guests. He walked all the way down to the first floor and out of the building. He knew Face would keep Lilly distracted until he got back so he wasn't worried he would be missed. He walked the 5 blocks to Mary's apartment and went right on up. When he knocked on the door it was almost instantly opened by Lisa. She hugged Murdock's leg and said, " Hey Murdock, is it time for the party now?"

Murdock just laughed and scooped Lisa up into his arms, "Sure is squirt. Where's your mom hiding?" Murdock stepped into the apartment and walked into the living room, never dropping Lisa

"She's finishing getting ready." Lisa pointed to the ajar doorway that led to her mother's room

Murdock put Lisa on the couch, "I'll go get her then so we can leave." Murdock walked over to the door and knocked slightly and headed in, "Hey Mary, you almost…"

Murdock froze at what he saw. Mary had her back to him, the back of a green sundress unzipped, showing off her back and bra strap. Mary was looking over her shoulder, a shocked look on her face, a blush forming slowly on her cheeks. Murdock shook his head and slapped his hand over his eyes, "I am so sorry. When Lisa said you were just about ready I thought you were just putting on make-up or something. I didn't mean to…I mean I didn't see…"

"James, it's alright. It's not like I'm undressed or anything." Mary's voice was calm and slightly embarrassed, "Since you're here anyway, why don't you make yourself useful and zip me up."

Murdock slowly removed his hand from his eyes and looked. Mary still had her back to him and was looking over her shoulder, smiling at him, a blush still coloring her cheeks in the cutest way. Murdock just knew that his own face was as red as hers, if not more so. He nodded, looking down at his feet, "Alright."

He slowly walked across the room and looked up slowly. His eyes roved up the smooth expanse of her lower back and on up her spine and up to her shoulders. He smiled slightly when he saw the golden chain around her neck. He slowly reached out and took the zipper in his hand and started to pull it up. His fingers touching the skin over her spin a few times on the way up. He thought he had felt her shiver but ignored it as an invention of his mind. As soon as he was done he jumped back and headed for the door, "I'll just be out here with Lisa when your done. Might wanna hurry, Lilly will get suspicious pretty soon."

He rushed out of the room and almost slammed the door behind him. He was suddenly finding his pants a bit tight but ignored it as he sat down on the couch next to Lisa. Lisa looked up at him with curiosity, "Murdock, how come your all red?"

Murdock just jumped at the sound of the small voice but smiled around his embarrassment, "I'm just excited for the party is all."

After Mary was ready they walked back to his apartment building. Murdock was careful to keep Lisa in between him and Mary, still feeling a little embarrassed about what had happened. He looked over Lisa to look at Mary and they met eyes. Then they both started laughing, the embarrassment fleeing from both of their minds.

As they laughed for no apparent reason Lisa looked up at her mother and then Murdock. She just shook her head and said to herself, "Grownups are weird."

Once they got to the apartment build Murdock led them up to the roof and said, "Now, I just call Hannibal and BA to come up here. Then I call Face and he brings her up here to surprise her."

After making the first two calls they waited for Hannibal and BA. Once they got there Murdock called Face.

"Templeton Peck here."

"It's time Faceman. Bring the Eagle to the nest."

They all stood a ways from the door. Murdock handed out party crackers that when you pulled the string would launch paper confetti into the air. They all stood at the ready and when the door opened and Lilly stepped out they all yelled "SURPRISE." and pulled the strings on their crackers.

Bitts of paper filled the air and floated all around Lilly, who had screamed at first in fear and now was squealing in joy as she looked around at her family and the paper. Some of it landed in her hair as she ran forward and plowed into Murdock who swept her up and spun her around while making plane noises. When he stopped he just held her close, "Happy birthday Lilly-pad."

Lilly just hugged him tightly, "Thanks dad."

Murdock's heart swelled. Ever since Christmas she had called him nothing else. Every time she used that word he could feel his heart swell with so much love he thought it might burst. He just hugged her tighter to him, "Anything for you Lilly."

The party started with everyone hugging Lilly and wishing her a happy birthday. Lisa had pulled out a hand made birthday card that had been covered in glitter and stickers.

Lilly then caught sight of the grill and smiled, "Do I finally get to see you grill?" Lilly asked, having heard several stories about the different things that had come from Murdock grilling

Murdock just smiled, "That's right Lilly."

Everyone sat down at the table and started to talk. Mary was talking to Face when all of a sudden there was an explosion behind her. She screamed and whirled around. There was a cloud of smoke rising into the air above Murdock and he had a big smile on his face. The girls were clapping and laughing, "James, what did you just do?"

Murdock held up a small red cylinder and said, "Gun powder cooking, nothing like it." he pulled the metal out of one end and sprinkled the powder onto a steak he was cooking, "Now girls, don't ever try this." then he flipped the steak and a column of fire erupted from the grill, making another explosion

Mary smiled as the girls clapped again, "Now I've never seen that kind of cooking before. However did you come up with such an idea?"

Before anyone could reply Lilly said, "He came up with the idea while he was in the mental ward in Mexico. He said he came up with lots of ideas when he had nothing to do but stare at the wall."

While the children were oblivious to it there was a sudden tense atmosphere in the air. The men were all aware that Mary didn't know about how Murdock was certifiably crazy. They all looked at her to see how she would react. She seemed to be thinking for a while and then asked, "James, can I speak to you for a moment."

Murdock just nodded and handed the spatula to Face. He followed Mary to the other side of the roof and waited silently for some sort of negative reaction. Like maybe she would take Lisa away and never let Lilly play with her again.

Mary took a deep breath and asked, "James, is what Lilly said true? Were I in a mental ward in Mexico?"

To Murdock's credit he refused to look down and met her eyes, "Yes, about 10 years ago. And an institute in Germany 2 years ago."

Mary seemed to be thinking about this and then asked, "Why were you there?"

Murdock just sighed, "Because I'm crazy. Still am as a matter of fact. If that's gonna be a problem…" he started to turn away

Mary reached out and took his arm in her hand, "James, it's not a problem. I'm just wondering why you would hide this from me. And don't say you weren't cause it's clear that you were hiding it on purpose."

Murdock looked at her sadly, "I was hiding it because I thought that, if you knew, you would call someone to take Lilly away from me. And if that happened…they would find out that I didn't adopt her. I found her a few months ago, in an alley. And if they investigated me…"

Mary looked concerned, "What James?"

Murdock took both of her hands and looked her in the eye, "Mary, you know I'm a good man right?"

"Of course James. You and your friends are some of the nicest people I've ever met." Mary said, now very worried, "James, what's going on? Your scaring me."

"I'm…" he took a deep breath, "I'm a wanted Federal Fugitive." Mary was quiet for a few moments. Then she took her hands back and tried to get away but he grabbed her arm gently, "Mary, listen to me. We never did anything wrong. We were used as scapegoats for the military. Please, you know me. Do I seem like the kind of man who would do anything worthy of being a Federal Fugitive?"

Mary stood still and then reached up, taking his head in her hands. She brought him close, nose to nose, and looked deeply into his eyes, as if searching. She stayed like that for over a minute before she smiled slightly at him, "I believe you James. Your eyes don't have a drop of evil in them. And the way you take care of Lilly, you wouldn't do that if you were a bad person." she took both his hands in hers and kissed his cheek, "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me all of that. Is there anything else I should know while your spilling your guts?"

Murdock just smiled and looked thoughtful for a few seconds, "Nothing I can think of right now."

Mary nodded, "Good. Now I can't say that I understand it all right now, but from what I can tell, I can trust you. I'll stay today, and then tomorrow I'll bring Lisa over for a play date and you and I can talk some more. But for right now, lets just have a party."

Murdock felt his heart pounding in his chest. She wasn't going to turn them in. she accepted what he was telling her on blind faith. And she was willing to listen to him tomorrow. He just stared at her for a few seconds before he leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips, "Thank you Mary." he smiled as a blush formed on her face, "Now, I have a BBQ to finish."

The rest of the day was spent playing party games, eating steak when they were hungry, and drinking soda. The cake and presents were great and everyone agreed that the cake could not have been better. Several pictures were taken over the course of the day. When it got dark out Murdock handed out sparklers he had gotten from a specialty store.

As the night got later and later the girls fell asleep on the roof. It was about 11:50PM when Murdock sat down next to Mary, "I'm really happy you decided to hear me out Mary. If not for my sake, then at least for Lilly's."

Mary smiled as she turned to look at Murdock, "James, over the last few weeks I have learned several things about you. That you are a good father. That you try as hard as you can everyday to make those around you happy. You can cook like a French chef. And you can through one heck of a holiday party. But most of all, I know one thing." she took his hand and looked at him in the eye, "You are a good man." she leaned in and kissed him

The sky filled with fireworks and the sounds of people cheering could be heard all over the city from open windows. Murdock leaned into the lips on his, kissing back. It felt like he was flying though the air for the first time all over again. His hands came up. One on her neck and one on her jaw. He felt her arms wrapping around his shoulders. They only broke the kiss when the need to breath became to strong to ignore. They sat there, hands on each other, gasping for breath, and both very red in the face.

The moment was smashed as Face said, "About damn time. I've been waiting for that to happen since Thanksgiving."

**AN: Alright, up next is the telling of the tale. Will Mary stay or will she go. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter as always.**


	8. Chapter 8

The next day Murdock's mind was everywhere. After he had been kissed by Mary last night she had taken Lisa home without another word to him. He hoped she would still come over today to talk because they now had one more thing to talk about.

He nearly felt his heart jump out of his throat when he heard the knock at the door. As Lisa and Lilly ran back to her room he sat Mary down on the couch. After a few moments of silence, "So, what do you want to talk about first?" Mary asked

"How about that sneak attack you planted on me last night?" Murdock said with a slightly smug smile

Mary blushed, "Alright. I did that because I like you."

Murdock snorted, "Well I like Face but you won't see me planting a kiss on him anytime soon."

Mary laughed and the tense mood was broken, "You know what I mean." she swatted his arm playfully, "I like you as more then a friend."

Murdock sighed, "See, that's what I have a problem with. I can't understand why you would be attracted to me."

"Are you serious?" Mary asked, looking shocked. Murdock just nodded and she said, "Alright, I'll give you several reasons why I find you attractive. Your so good with, not just Lilly, but my Lisa as well. You can cook so well it should be a crime. Your funny and charming, though a bit eccentric I'll admit. And your very handsome, which never hurts."

Murdock just stared at her, "Wow, I'm really all of that?" Mary nodded, "Well, I guess if you say it, it must be true, to some degree at least."

"Your darn right it is." Mary nodded before asking, "Do you like me to?"

Murdock just blushed and looked at his feet, "Yeah, I guess I kinda do. Your smile makes my stomach warm in a really nice way. When I see your eyes sparkle when you laugh I just want to reach out and hold you. Seeing you playing with Lilly and Lisa, makes me want to be a part of that." he looked up at Mary who was blushing so hard that her whole face was red. Murdock smiled and reached out to gently brush her cheek with the back of his hand, "And your so damn cute when you blush."

They sat there in silence for several minutes, just starring at each other. The only sound was Lisa and Lilly playing back in Lilly's room. They slowly leaned in and kissed softly. It wasn't as aggressive as the one from the night before but just as passionate. When they pulled away it was to sadly talk about what could tear the forming relationship apart.

Mary looked at Murdock sadly, "James, we have to talk about…"

"Yeah, I know. It all started about 10 years ago when I met the guys." he reached out and took the picture of them all standing in front of the helicopter and showed it to her

(I'm not gonna go through that whole damn thing and tell the movie over. You all know what happened so I'm not gonna repeat it.)

"And after we escaped form the truck we went on the lamb. Decided to stay in LA, since they were looking for us everywhere else for the next few months. Every so often someone will hire us for a job and we'll go off and save the day. It's dangerous but, it's all we really want to do. Someday, they might stop looking for us. But until then, we have to stay hidden like this. Only reason we feel safe here is that we helped save the few blocks surrounding this building from some asshole development company. They all owe us so they let us live in peace."

Murdock ended his story and looked up at Mary. Mary's eyes were wide and she looked shocked and appalled at what she had just heard. At first Murdock was afraid she was appalled with him but then she said, "How could they do that to you? After everything you went through to prove your innocence, they're just going to let everyone think you did it to save their own butts?"

Murdock just smiled, "That's the way it is some times. And there's nothing we can do about it. You think your mad now? Just think how mad we were two years ago."

Mary just sat back into the couch cushions, crossed her arms, and pouted like a pro. Murdock just couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him at the sight of her. She frowned at him, still pouting slightly, "What?"

Murdock just smiled and leaned over her, "Do you have any idea how cute you are when you pout like that?"

He kissed her soundly, deepening it as soon as she let him. He slowly leaned over her more, hovering over her and slowly leaning Mary back onto the couch. They were just getting lost in the passion of it all when they heard the girls giggling. They both looked over and saw Lisa and Lilly standing there and laughing at them, making kissy faces at each other.

Murdock and Mary jumped away from each other as Lilly and Lisa ran off, still giggling to each other and making kissy faces. Murdock looked at Mary and said, "I think we've just been busted."

Mary was blushing and said, "Yes, but it's our fault for making out on your couch like a couple of horny teenagers."

Murdock just laughed at the look on Mary's face, "But we're not teenagers. We're two consenting adults. It's just unfortunate that we got caught up in our new relationship."

Mary looked up at him, "Relationship?"

Murdock balked, "Well, I thought, I mean what we just said…" Murdock looked away

Mary giggled and reached out, hand to his cheek, to turn his head back, "Of course we are. It might just take a while for me to get used to it. I haven't been in a relationship since Lisa's dad, and I think it's clear how that turned out." she looked a little sad

Murdock was surprised. He had never asked about Lisa's dad and Mary had never really said anything about it. But seeing her face now it was clear he had left Mary alone with Lisa. Murdock just smiled and looked Mary in the eye, "Mary, I promise I would never hurt you like that."

They leaned in and kissed each other softly, no rush or passion in it. Just a kiss to show affection and to seal the promise.

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Hannibal asked from the doorway

Mary blushed and whispered under her breath, "We really have to find a better spot to kiss. Everyone keeps walking in on us."

Murdock just smiled and turned to Hannibal, "What's up Colonel?"

"We got a job Captain. Mission briefing in my room in 1 hour." Hannibal paused as he walked out the door and then turned back, "And I'm happy for you two." was all he said before he left

Murdock just laughed at the increasing blush on Mary's face, "Just like I said." he took her face gently in his hands and pecked her on the lips, "You are so cute when you blush."

Over the next hour Murdock talked to Mary and the girls. The girls were happy to hear that their respective parental units were together and, as Lilly put it, making kissy faces at each other. When Lilly asked what meals Murdock would be leaving for her this time he spent 15 minutes listening to Mary lecture him about leaving a child alone. Then the next 10 minutes after that deciding that Lilly would stay with Mary while Murdock was away.

Murdock showed Mary what he had Lilly learning and when she asked why Lilly wasn't in school Murdock responded sadly, "Well, I'm not her parent or guardian so I couldn't enroll her. I decided to home school her."

"Yeah, I can see how that might be a problem. I guess when she gets old enough she could just get a GED."

Murdock smiled, "See, that's what I thought. I just have to teach her well enough. Maybe, you being so smart, you could help?"

Mary just kissed him on the cheek, "Of course James. Now go to your briefing."

"Yes dear." he said with a laugh and ran off to Hannibal's apartment. When he entered with a big grin on his face, Face grinned

"I knew it. You guys are a thing aren't you?" Face was eager to hear about his friends happiness, Lord knew he need some

"Yup, she's cool with everything. Says I'm not crazy, I'm eccentric." Murdock said, puffing out his chest as he took his place around the official 'planning table' in Hannibal's living room

"Don't mean that's what the rest of us think." BA said with a snort

Murdock just stuck out his tongue at BA while Face laughed. Hannibal just smiled at his boys and then cleared his throat. He took the cigar out of his mouth, "We're staying in the US for this one boys, so we have to be extra careful."

Over the next few hours going over the information that was laid out about how to deal with a human trafficker that was running his business out of the East Boston Harbor. Some girl had come to them, begging for help. She had seen something she shouldn't have and the boss had kidnapped her mother to keep her quiet. Face asked why the boss, who's name was Patrick McFarland, hadn't just killed the girl.

"She works for the customs department at the docks, that's how she saw what she did in the first place. As long as they have her under their thumb they can traffic as much as they want. He's also threatening to add her mother to the next load of women being shipped down to South America if she doesn't do what he says. We have 4 days to finish this op, and I have a plan." Hannibal said, puffing on his cigar

"Let's hear it boss man, I'm itching to teach these dirt bags how to treat a lady." Murdock said as he cleaned a gun on the table

Once the plan was laid out and the final touches smoothed out Murdock went back to his apartment to pack. He walked into the apartment to see Mary watching TV with the kids. He paused to think about that, the kids, it sounded nice. He just smiled as he came over and pulled Mary away.

"So, how long are you going to be gone?" Mary asked sadly

"4 or 5 days. But it's a good pay day. Won't have to work for a few months after that." Murdock tugged her into his room so they could talk while he packed

When Murdock pulled the box from under his bed and opened it he heard Mary gasp at the sight of several different weapons. He turned to look at her and saw the tears in her eyes. He got to his feet and hugged her close, "Hey now, why the tears baby?"

"I just realized how dangerous your life is. What if you get hurt?" Mary asked, wiping the tears from her eyes

Murdock just held her tighter, "I do get hurt sometimes. It's part of the job. But no matter what, I promise to always do my best to get back here to you and the girls." he kissed her cheek, "Go out and be with them, I'll be there in a few minutes."

When Mary left Murdock sighed. He knew that this was yet another complication in their budding relationship. But he also knew that they would get through it together once he got back.

As he put the bag over his shoulder he walked out into the living room. The girls jumped off the couch and each attached to one of his legs. Mary attached herself to his torso in a tight hug, "Not that I mind but why am I being hugged by three lovely ladies?"

Lilly sniffed as she hugged his leg tighter, "Cause we want you to come back safe."

Lisa said, "And we want you to feel how much we care about you."

Mary just nodded and kissed him softly, "Come home soon James. In one piece if you can manage." she said with a watery smile

Murdock just smiled, "Of course I'll come back, I've got three girls waiting for me. I'm the luckiest guy in the world." he gave them each a hug and a kiss, and then left, saying as he turned in the doorway, "Lilly, you know the call signal. Teach it to Marry and Lisa and I'll call when we get to Boston."

Mary looked down at the sniffling girls at her feet and kneeled down to hug them both close to her, "Don't worry girls, James will call us later tonight and we can all talk to him."

Later that night, after Mary had moved Lilly to her house for a few days stay, the phone rang twice and then stopped before ringing again. Mary smiled as she picked up the phone and said, "Mary's Daycare, how may I help you?"

"Hey there pretty lady." Murdock said from the other end of the line, smile clear in his voice, "So, wanna tell me what your wearing?"

"James, really." they both laughed lightly, "Let me call the girls and put you on speaker phone."

Once all the girls were in the living room they set the phone on speaker phone, "Testing. 123, testing." Murdock said over the speaker, "Do you read me, over?"

The girls giggled while Mary just smiled warmly, "We hear you just fine James. How was your trip?"

"So boring. Nothing to look at but roads and cars. But there were some neat license plates on the way." Murdock laughed lightly at his own thought, "So, how did my girls do today?"

Lisa and Lilly told him about how they had done Lilly's homework together and had helped Mary cook dinner. He wished them both goodnight and when they left for bed Mary took the phone off speaker, "James, how are you really?"

Murdock sighed, "I'm worried about this job. Not for my safety or anything, just about the woman we're trying to save. If we don't get there in time…"

"You will, I know you will. Just know that I'm praying for you. Call me tomorrow and let me know what's up alright.?"

"Yeah, thanks Mary. I'll call you tomorrow." Murdock said with a small sigh

"Try and get some sleep James." Mary said

"See you in my dream baby doll." Murdock said before he hung up the phone

Mary looked down at the phone in her hands and sighed. She knew he was safe, he had his friends to watch over him. That didn't mean she was any less worried about her boyfriend. She stopped to think about that for a minute and smile. James was her boyfriend, she liked the sound of that.

**AN: Alright, that is one more chapter down. Next chapter will be a little bit about the mission and Murdock coming home. But will the boys all be in one piece. Guess you'll just have to find out. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter as always. When you guys review it really does motivate me to write more. The only reason I really do any of this after all is for you guys.**


	9. Chapter 9

Over the next 3 days Murdock would call like clockwork at 8PM on the dot. When on the fourth day they heard nothing from him Mary and the girls got worried. When on the fifth day they still heard nothing Mary started to panic.

On the night of the fifth day there was a phone call. Two rings and then it stopped before starting again. She snatched up the phone and said, "James, is that you?"

"Sorry Mary, it's Face. Murdock would call you himself but he's sleeping right now. I thought you had the right to know what happened." Face sounded like he was a little sad

"Templeton, what happened?" she whispered in fear

"Murdock got captured a two days ago. They roughed him up a bit but he's fine. We got him back and completed the job. He just might not be so pretty for a few days. I swear to you he's alright, it's mostly bruises and cuts." Face was talking quickly to prevent interruption on Mary's part, but she still managed to

"What do you mean mostly?" Mary asked

"Well, they knocked out one of his back teeth, busted his nose, and bruised a few ribs. Nothing really bad." Face said

"Nothing to bad? That's what you call nothing to bad?" Mary took a few deep breaths before asking, "Is he really alright, nothing worse then bruised ribs?"

"Nothing, I swear. Look, we're almost home now so bring the girls to the apartment and you can check him out yourself when we get there."

"Alright, I'll meet you there." Mary said as she went back to Lisa's room to get the girls

Once they got to the apartment she put the girls into Lilly's room, "Girl's, James is hurt and on his way here. Don't worry, he'll be alright, but I want you to stay here while I clean him up alright?"

The girls nodded and hugged each other as Mary went to get the advanced medical kit out from under the sink. She took out some supplies and set them up. A few minutes later the door opened and Mary turned around and gasped.

Murdock was more then a little banged up, he was pulverized. A forming black eye and two bruised cheeks. His nose was bleeding very slowly but it was clear it had been bleeding for a while. His shirt was in shreds and bruises littered his torso. He was also limping terribly. Murdock looked up at her and smiled, showing one of his back teeth was missing, "Honey, I'm home."

Mary rushed forward and helped take him to the couch. She stripped him to his boxers and started working on him, her nurse training kicking in to full gear. She was happy to see he had no signs of internal damage and proclaimed it a miracle considering all the bruises that covered him. He had three bruised ribs and his nose had been pushed out of place. When she snapped it back he groaned loudly.

A quiet whimper was heard from down the hall. Mary looked up and said, "One of you needs to stay with the children. Templeton, you're the only one without any blood on you. Go make sure the kids are alright."

Face ran back to Lilly's room to check on the girls. He knocked and then slipped inside, closing the door behind him just as another pained groan filled the apartment. He saw Lisa holding a crying Lilly. Lisa was crying to but not as hard as Lilly.

Face walked over to the girls and kneeled down. They instantly attached themselves to him and cried, "Hey, hey, it's alright."

"No it's not. Dads hurt isn't he. Just like last time." Lilly sobbed into Face's shoulder

Face realized that was why she was so scared. Because she had seen him hurt before, "Lilly, listen to me. He's gonna be fine. Sure, he won't be fun to look at for a few days but I promise you he's just fine."

Lisa asked, "Is momma gonna fix him up?"

"That's right girls. Mary's gonna fix him up. But like I said, he is a little bruised up. He's gonna need to rest for a while and you have to be careful when you touch him. But let's not talk about that right now okay. Murdock wouldn't want you guys to cry over this."

Face spent the next few hours entertaining the girls and he finally got them down to bed. He walked down the hallway to find BA lifting Murdock off of the couch. Murdock didn't groan as he appeared to be sleeping. When he pointed at the sleeping pilot Mary held up a bottle of pills, they were sleeping pills. Face just nodded at BA took Murdock back to his room where he would put him in his pajamas and tuck him into bed.

Face turned to Mary, "So, what's the official damage report?"

"Three bruised ribs, had to crack his nose back in place, several blunt force strikes all over his torso and face. Missing his left first molar, clean detachment thank God. Just looks like they beat the hell out of him. What was he doing that angered them so much? How did this happen?" Mary looked accusingly at Hannibal and Face. When BA entered the room she glared at him to and they all looked back at her sheepishly, "Well, what happened to him?"

Hannibal sighed, "He deviated from the plan, but for good reason. We were doing recon and could see Betty's, the girl who hired us, we could see her mother through a window. She was perfectly fine. But then one of the guys who was guarding her got a little frisky. Murdock couldn't hold it together and jumped through the damn window, started wailing on the guy." Hannibal smiled slightly, "Let me tell you, I was damn proud of that boy for a few seconds. But the goons showed up and beat the hell out of him. We couldn't back him up, we didn't have the weapons or numbers. If we had thought they were going to kill him we would have stepped in but they just kept it to punches."

Mary looked both proud and horrified at that statement. Her James had rushed in to save a strangers honor, not to surprising really. But she was horrified that it had led to that, "Why did it take you so long to save him?"

Face stepped forward, "Mary, you have to understand something about running an op. you can't let your feelings get in the way of the mission or else you could end up getting everyone killed. We wanted to jump in and save him right then, but we couldn't. The only reason Murdock did what he did is because he trusted us to have his back. He jumped in there to save that woman because he knew she needed saving. She wasn't part of the op, there for she was an innocent. We do whatever we can to limit the injuries of any innocents involved." he grabbed her shoulders gently and looked into Mary's eyes, "We got him out of there as soon as we had a plan. He stayed there with that woman, protecting her for two days."

BA stepped forward, "You should be proud of him Mary. Not angry. Crazy fool did a brave thing. He's always doing stupid stuff to save our asses. This time it just didn't work out so good."

Mary had tears in her eyes now. She clung to Face as she cried, "I'm going to have to get used to you guys coming back all banged up aren't I?"

"It's part of the job. But sometimes we come back without a scratch. Stuff like this doesn't happen very often. I swear it Mary." Face said into her ear

Mary pulled away and wiped away the tears streaming down her face, "I understand. You boy's must be tired, go on off to bed."

Hannibal stepped forward, "Mary, are you sure you'll be alright?"

Mary just smiled sadly at them, "I'll be fine, I just need to be alone for a while. I need to think."

The three men each gave her a hug before leaving silently. Mary sat down on the couch and stared at the bookcase across from her. She looked at the scattered pictures. Old mission pictures now mixed with pictures of Lilly. She thought about what had happened that night. The bloodstains, the bruises, the missing tooth. The limp that James would have for the next few days due to deep bruising on his thigh where it looked like someone had repeatedly stomped on it. Mary took a deep breath to calm her self and thought of all the positive things that had happened before that.

Meeting James in the park on that sunny afternoon. Having him come over with Lilly for that first play date and making lunch for all of them. Talking to him over the phone while planning the first big Thanksgiving she had had since her parents had died so many years before. Then the day itself, cooking side by side. Washing the dishes, him splashing her playfully, starting a small water fight. The flash of a camera and James soaking Face with the water hose from the sink. Christmas day, opening his gift, losing her breath at the sight of the simple golden chain. Mary reached up to finger the chain that hung around her neck as she remembered that day. And then, New Years Eve, finding out about his secret life and finding she didn't care that he was wanted by the government. And then that kiss as the fireworks shot into the air.

Tears streamed down her face anew as she realized how she felt about James was worth his dangerous job. The way he made her feel whenever he was around was just to much to ignore. She could take the bad because it was far outweighed by the good. She would stay, because she loved him.

Mary crept back down the hallway and peaked into the Lilly's room. The girls were curled up together under the covers . She smiled at the sight and then crept into James's room. Seeing him still made her chest tight, all that bruising. But she knew that over the next 2 weeks that the bruises would go down and he would look like himself again. But she also realized that those bruises were proof of how brave he had been.

She went back to the living room and picked up the bag she had brought with her. She went to the bathroom and changed into a pair of pajamas with little bears on them. She then snuck back into James's room and crawled into bed with him. She took comfort in feeling his warmth, the proof that he was still here. She curled up next to him, careful to not hurt him. She breathed in his scent as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, listening to his soft breathing.

Murdock woke slowly. He was in pain but it wasn't to bad. Just a low burn and ache. He knew that as soon as he moved it would be worse so he just lay still. He slowly realized that someone was curled up at his side, their arm lightly laying across his chest, head on his shoulder. The arm was to long for it to be Lilly, so who could it be.

That's when the familiar smell filled his nose. The smell of fresh laundry and vanilla and something else that he identified simply as, "Mary?" he mumbled softly, slowly opening the eye that hadn't swollen shut. He turned slightly, groaning softly at the pain every movement caused. It was indeed Mary curled up at his side. She was sleeping peacefully, looking so happy and content. Murdock smiled at her messy hair and teddy bear pajamas. He slowly reached out a hand, wincing as he did so, and ran his hand through her hair, gently untangling it. It was worth every twinge of pain, to feel her hair in between his fingers. He realized she must be a very deep sleeper for him not to have woken her by now. Once he was done untangling her hair he got an idea.

He grinned slyly as he slowly leaned down and gently kissed the sleeping beauty by his side. He was only slightly surprised when she kissed him back in her sleep. He felt a shiver run down his spine when she whispered his name as she opened her sleepy hazel eyes, still clouded half over with sleep

"Good morning Mary, sleep well?" he asked, that sly smirk still on his face

Mary slowly woke. Murdock watched as with every bit that she woke her blush increased slightly. Finally she was 100% awake and looked like she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, "Um…hi." she said

Murdock just chuckled, but the movement caused him to wince in pain. He cursed his action when Mary's eyes widened and she leapt from the bed, babbling about how she must have hurt him and was sorry, "Mary…Mary…MARY." she stopped, "Mary, you didn't hurt me. I'm just sore is all, to be expected really."

Before he could coax her back into bed she ran off, saying, "I'll go get you some pain medication from that medical kit."

Murdock sighed as he sat back, trying to remember what had happened last night. He remembered being rescued, being dragged back to the van, and then passing out after being awake and injured for 2 days straight. He woke when he was removed and recognized the apartment building. He had been so happy to see Mary when he entered the apartment that for a few moments he had felt no pain. Then she had patched him up…after stripping to his boxers. He blushed, wondering if she really noticed it or had just been stuck in her nursing mode.

He was still blushing when Mary came back in and was carrying the entire medical kit, which was really more like a duffle bag now that he thought about it. She was looking into it with curiosity, "Where did you get morphine and vicodin?"

Murdock just smiled, "Well, we get a fresh batches as often as we can. We have connections in several different hospitals to get medical supplies. Never the same place in a window of three months." Murdock slowly tried to sit up

Mary rushed over and helped him sit up, being as gentle as she could, "Well, I guess I get that. You can't exactly go to the hospital." after she got him sitting up and comfortable she looked up at him. Seeing his smiling face had her eye filling with tears of joy, "I'm so glade your alright." and she hugged him gently, kissing him lightly

Murdock just smiled and hugged her gently back, kissing her with all the love he could manage without hurting himself. When she pulled back he just continued to smile, "Told you I'd come back. Even came back in one piece."

Mary smiled and pretended to put, "Oh no you didn't, your missing a tooth."

Murdock looked surprised as he swiped his tongue around his mouth. When he found the hole he swore, "Well damn, didn't even notice that."

Mary just laughed, "Let me get you some breakfast. Don't want to put any pain medication in you on an empty stomach now do we? Besides, it's time the girls ate anyway."

"Oh my God, the girls. I can't believe I didn't think of them until now." his face filled with horror, "They didn't see me last night did they? I was probably covered in blood. Lilly's already seen that once." he started to work himself into a panic

Mary reached out and stopped him from wiggling, "James, it's alright. They stayed in Lilly's room the whole night." then she registered something else that he had said, "What do you mean Lilly's already seen you covered in blood?"

"Well, you remember that first day we came over to your place, I had bandages on my head? I lied when I said it was work related." Murdock told Mary the story of what had happened

"Oh my gosh, are you serious?" Murdock just nodded, "James, I saw those boys in the hospital. That one boy, he'll walk with a limp for the rest of his life." then she smiled and let her vindictive side show for only a moment as she said, "You're a good father James."

Murdock shivered as seeing that side of her, if even for a moment. That side that showed she was a real live mamma bear. You messed with her cubs, and she would fuck you up. He reached out and grabbed her, kissing her, "You are so hot when your protective. Why don't you just get back in bed and…"

Mary just blushed and pulled away, "Oh no James, your to injured to be doing any of that. Now, I'm going to go make breakfast. I might send the girls in to. I know you don't look your best but they were so worried. They'll be a little upset but I know seeing you will put their minds at ease."

Murdock sighed, "You're the nurse Mary. You know best." then his eyes sparkled and he smirked at her

"What?" Mary asked, blushing under such a look

"Teddy bears Mary?" Murdock asked with a raised eyebrow

Mary blushed and looked down at herself, noticing she was in her pajamas for the first time. Then she looked at him defiantly, the look slightly ruined by the red in her cheeks, "I don't have to explain myself to you James Murdock." was all she said before beating a hasty retreat.

Murdock just sat on the bed, a big smile on his face. The smile widened when he heard the girls moving around. Lilly and Lisa bounded into his room, each still wearing their pajamas. They slowed down when they saw him and they both looked a little scared at the state of him. It made him wonder how bad he really looked. He smiled, "Come on, I don't look that bad do I?"

Lilly and Lisa crawled up onto the bed, one on each side of him, and they gently hugged him, as if he would break. He reached out, hiding his slight pain, as he pulled them closer. That's when he noticed that his shirt was getting wet, they were crying.

"Girls, look at me." they turned their tearful eyes to him and he smiled reassuringly at them, "I swear, it's not as bad as it looks." he squeezed the girls and laughed, "You think I look bad, you should see the other guy."

Lilly's eyes widened at the memory of what had happened a few months ago. Then she smiled over at Lisa, "Yeah, remember what I told you about last night. He can kick butt."

Murdock just chuckled and continued to talk to the girls, soothing their fears and worries. Soon, Mary returned with a tray stacked high with food. She had changed into a pair of dark blue scrubs and when Murdock raised an eyebrow in an unasked question she had simply replied, "Well, if I'm going to nurse you back to health I might as well look the part."

Murdock had laughed at that and then they all ate breakfast together. Once breakfast was over the girls went to get dressed. Mary offered Murdock some vicodin and he swallowed the pills with a grateful sound, "Thanks Mary. You really don't have to do this."

Mary just helped him lay back down, "Of course I do. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't take care of my boyfriend when he needed me? Not a very good one, that's what." she kissed him gently and stepped back, patting his arm, "Now get some sleep James, your body needs rest."

Murdock just smiled up at her as he felt the medication kick in, "Best girlfriend ever." he whispered as he let the feeling of the medication lull him into sleep

**AN: That's chapter 9 down. Let me know what you think. And if anything about the medication is wrong, I'm sorry. I'm not to good with medical stuff. Hope you liked it. Thanks for reading.**


	10. Chapter 10

Over the next week Murdock was tended to by his girls. He hated staying in bed, as always, but couldn't complain about the company…or the medication. Every day his friends would visit him. Face and BA would tease him about having his own personal nurse while Hannibal just smiled knowingly. Mary would cook and Lilly and Lisa would sit around his room most of the day. He loved to watch them play. He knew they just wanted to be with him, to make sure he would stay alright. But his favorite part was that every night, Mary would curl up next to him. He was content to just hold her and kiss her every now and then, accepting that she wouldn't do anything more until his bruises had faded a bit.

Finally, after 7 days, Mary let him get dressed in something other then sleeping clothes, and allowed him to go to the living room. He was walking alright, limp pretty much gone now. And she even let him make lunch for everyone, but only if they were sandwiches.

After a few more days, he couldn't take it any more. He had to get outside. He begged and pleaded with her to let him go out and she finally sighed, "Alright, I guess so. We can take the girls to the park for a few hours."

"Yes, thank you. I know you're my nurse- slash- girlfriend but I was starting to feel like you were my jailer. Having to ask before I do anything." Murdock joked

"I was only trying to help you heal James." she said defensively

Murdock just smiled understandingly at her and took her into his arms, kissing her, "I know baby, but you have to remember I'm not glass. I'm a man, with muscles and everything."

Mary held him tighter, "I just don't want to let you go back out there. Something might happen to you." Mary laughed, "I know it's silly, and I'll stop doing it. But you can't stop me from worrying about you."

Murdock kissed her passionately, taking her breath away. When he pulled back he smiled down at her, love burning in his eyes, "I understand, and I worry about you to. The worry just means we care more about each other then we thought."

After standing there for a few minutes, just holding each other and kissing every now and then, they separated, holding hands, "So, let's go to the park."

Murdock and Mary walked down the street to the park, hands clasped together. Lilly and Lisa were running ahead of them and into the park as soon as it was in sight and they were on the right side of the street.

Murdock and Mary sat on the bench where they had first met and watched the girls play, hands still held. They watched as the girls played with the other children. Digging in the sand, swinging on the monkey bars, and chasing each other around the park.

After about an hour, a few of the other parents came over and started to talk to them. Murdock was a little nervous talking to so many people that he didn't know or trust but Mary handled it like a pro. It turned out that this was normal for parents at the park. He had never really thought about what the parents did at the park while the kids played.

He listened to the others tell stories about their kids and showed off pictures. He smiled and listened with interest, picking up a few ideas about what to do with Lilly and Lisa for fun. He told a few of the stories he had about Lilly, like how they cooked together and watch cartoons every Saturday. Murdock would look over at Lilly and Lisa whenever he got the chance and was happy to see they were having fun with the other girls and boys.

After a few hours it started to get close to dinner time. Mary and Murdock excused themselves to collect their children and going back to his apartment. As he walked back to the apartment he just looked at the three females and once again felt love swell in his chest. He loved all three of them with all of his heart.

Once they got back to his apartment the girls went to watch TV while Murdock and Mary made dinner, beef stroganoff with broccoli. Right in the middle of pouring the noodles into the boiling pot Murdock stopped and looked over to Mary who was chopping broccoli.

"Mary, do you wanna go on a date with me?" Murdock asked

Mary froze and looked over at him. She looked at the mostly healed bruises on the face before her, saw the hope in his eyes, and smiled lovingly, "I would love to James. But who is going to watch the girls while we're gone?"

Murdock took a moment to dwell once again on how they called Lilly and Lisa, the girls. Then he just smiled and said, "The guys make great baby sitters. Trust me, you couldn't have better people watching them."

"Well, I suppose. Would they mind at all?" Mary asked as she continued to chop the broccoli

Murdock finished pouring the noodles into the pot before placing the lid on it, "Are you kidding me? They love those girls. Always taking pictures, playing with them. They'd be insulted if we didn't ask."

Mary giggled, "I suppose your right. So, when do you want to go on this date?"

"How about tomorrow night?" Murdock asked as he leaned up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her neck slightly

"Sounds good to me." she said as she put the knife down and turned around in his arms, kissing him

That night Mary returned to her own apartment, so that she could get ready for the date tomorrow in private. She said it was so she could surprise him.

As Murdock lay in his bed, he realized something. His bed was so big, he had never noticed that before. So big and empty and cold. He realized that he needed her next to him at night to chase away the dark dreams of the past. He hugged the pillow next to him, stuffing his face into the pillowcase, inhaling the scent of clean laundry, vanilla, and something that was simply Mary.

Mary, back at her own apartment, was having a similar problem. She felt so alone in her bed. She dug through her duffle bag and took out her teddy bear pajamas, she had planned to wash them the next day. She inhaled the scent that clung to them. The smell that could only be described as pure James Murdock. A smell that had rubbed off from sleeping in his bed. She fell asleep with her pajamas held tightly to her chest.

The next morning, when the guys came to his apartment for breakfast like always, he asked, "Hey guys, how do you feel about baby sitting for me and Mary tonight?"

The guys readily agreed and Face pressed just a little, asking why. Murdock just smiled and said, "I'm taking her on a date. Someplace real nice. That French restaurant uptown."

Face whistled, "Wow man, must be a special date."

Murdock just smiled, "It is. Guys, I'm gonna ask her to get an apartment with me."

The room was quiet for a few second and then it was filled with laughter and encouragement. Hannibal slapped him on the back proudly. BA just lightly punched Murdock's shoulder. Face just smiled, saying he might know a place near by.

"Guys, she hasn't said yes yet." Murdock said, though still smiling at all the encouragement

"Yeah right. You and her are so in love it's not even funny. No way is she gonna say no." said BA teasingly

Murdock froze, "Love?" and then he thought about it really hard. The way she made him feel by just being there. The way her smile could light up a room. The way her kisses tasted like freedom and made him feel like he was flying. How watching her play with the girls made him feel so content and complete. The thought of how another night without her in his arms sounded to painful to bear. And that's when it finally hit him like a brick wall, "I'm in love." he whispered. Then he smiled so wide he showed off his missing tooth, "I'M IN LOVE!" he yelled excitedly and jumped into the air, whooping for joy

Face, Hannibal, and BA just smiled and laughed at their friend. They hadn't seen him so happy since the day before they had been arrested.

Suddenly there was another sound. The sound of cheering from outside the kitchen door. It was Lilly. She ran into the kitchen, her pajamas still on. She ran into her father's arms and he swung her around, "Lilly-pad, did you hear?"

"Yeah. I'm so happy for you dad. Does this mean me and Lisa get to be sisters?" Lilly asked as she was swung up onto Murdock's shoulders

"Maybe some day. But if tonight goes right, you might become room mates." Murdock said as he walked out into the living room and threw her off his shoulders and onto the couch, watching her bounce and giggle

Later that day, at around 5PM, Face came over to talk to Murdock. They went to Murdock's room and then Face showed him what he had brought. It looked like a nice suit, "Face, what is this?"

"Well don't tell me you were planning to wear jeans to a fancy French restaurant." at the look on Murdock gave him Face sighed, "Mary knows where your going tonight doesn't she?"

"Well yeah." Murdock said

"Well, then I promise you she won't be wearing anything she normally does. She's gonna get all dressed up for you. You should do the same for her. Don't you think so?" Face said with a smile

The smile Face was giving him made Murdock want to back away, "Um, yeah, I guess."

Face started to back him into a corner, "Then put on the suit. I know your sizes and had it made for you short notice. You owe me big for that by the way." Face reached out for Murdock

Outside the door Lilly had her ear pressed against the door and this is what she heard.

"What are you doing?"

"Just relax Murdock."

"Hey, let go, I can do it myself."

"When have you ever put on a suit like this? I wanna make sure you don't wrinkle it."

"Hey, watch those hands. I can dress myself."

There was the sound of a struggle and suddenly the door opened and Lilly moved just in time to avoid being crushed by Face as he was thrown bodily from the room. Murdock stood in the doorway with no shirt on and his pants unzipped, "Dude, boundaries." was all he said before shutting the door and locking it

Face just looked over at a giggling Lilly and asked, "What are you laughing at?" before chasing her around the apartment. When he caught her he proceeded to tickle her until she cried uncle

Face noticed that the shower was running and figured Murdock was taking a shower before changing into the suit. About 45 minutes later, Murdock came out of his room. The suit looked like it had been poured onto him it fit him so well. It was tight enough to hug him just right but loose enough to leave something to the imagination.

It was a dark blue that in the right light would look black. The tie was light blue with gold stripes and the undershirt a crisp white. He wore new shoes Face had left for him on his bed. They were black leather and shined as only new shoes could.

He had shaved and his hair was gelled slightly so that it would behave. He was just finishing the tie and looked up at Face and Lilly, "So, how do I look?"

Lilly just stared at the man before her, "Wow, you look so different."

Face just smiled at his friend, "Dude, you look amazing."

Murdock looked at a mirror that hung in the hallway. He looked at his healing bruises. They had faded mostly but still were slightly visible. He wondered if they would be a problem when they got to the restaurant.

He took a deep breath, turned to Face, and smiled, "She should be here any minute with Lisa. Now you guys are fine with watching the girls until tomorrow right? We might be out a little late."

Face just smirked, "Sure man, sure."

There was a knock at the door and Murdock froze. He turned to look at the door and took another deep breath, "Well, here we go."

**AN: Alright, sad to say that I won't be updating for a few days as I have fallen behind. But I swear on my love for Murdock that I will be back by Thursday at the latest. I just have to catch up on a few things. And I would love some ideas about what could happen on the date. Just stupid little things, because we all know that no first date should go 100% as planned. Just give me your feedback and ideas and I'll see you Thursday.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Murdock felt his breath leave him in an instant. He didn't even notice as Lisa ran past him and over to Lilly and Face. Murdock just stared in awe at the sight before him. Mary stood before him, her hair all done up and flipping out everywhere in a sort of halo. Her lips were stained a soft red, making her shy smile all the brighter. Her eyelashes fluttered nervously. The dress she wore was stunning. It was a deep forest green that made her hazel eyes pop and accentuated her skin tone. It had shoulder straps that weren't to skinny or to thick. The neckline went down just enough to show the start of cleavage but not the actual thing. It hugged her form in such a way that it showed her figure while also leaving a little bit of slack. It came down to just above her ankles. Her shoes were low heal and strapped, the same color as her dress. In her hands was a small clutch purse, black with silver clasps.**

**Mary looked up slightly and blushed at the look on Murdock's face and said, "James, your staring." she said quietly**

**Murdock just smiled and replied, "There's a lot to stare at Mary." then he reached out and put his hands on her partially bare shoulders, leaning in, and kissing her on the cheek, "You look so beautiful right now."**

**Mary's blush brightened but she held her ground and winked playfully at him, "You don't look so bad yourself handsome."**

**This time Murdock blushed but he still had that smile plastered on his face. They just smiled at each other for a few moments before there was a small cough from behind Murdock. Murdock and Mary both looked over to see Face smiling at them, "You kids should be going or you'll miss your reservation." Murdock nodded and held out his arm to Mary who took it**

**They walked down the hall to BA's door and Murdock knocked. To both of their surprise, when the door opened, there was a flash of light. BA stood there with a camera in his hand and a smirk on his face, "I feel like my little boy's going to the prom."**

**Murdock just snorted, "Yeah, right, whatever. Well, think I could have the car keys **_**dad**_**?"**

**Mary just smiled at the exchange and took the moment to really look at Murdock. His hair was neater then she had ever seen it. She resisted the urge to reach up and mess it back up. She saw that the faded bruises on his face made him no less handsome in the suit he was wearing. She guessed that he didn't buy it himself and therefore probably didn't know how expensive it was. She would have to thank Face later for buying it.**

**As they walked down to the van Murdock asked, "So, are you ready for our first date? Cause I have to admit, I'm really nervous about it."**

**Mary nodded as they stopped next to the van. She looked at Murdock and smiled, "It's a bit silly isn't it? We already agreed we're in a relationship and now we go on our first date."**

**Murdock laughed as he pushed the unlock button on the keys in his hand. They were both surprised when the beep didn't come from the van but from something on the other side. They both peered around the van and gasped.**

**There, bold as brass, in the apartment parking lot, was a dark red Acura Integra. Shoved under one of the windshield wipers was an envelope with Murdock and Mary written on it. They looked at each other before Murdock reached out and took the envelope.**

**When he opened it there was a small card inside and as he read it he smiled. He handed it to Mary for her to read.**

_**Dear Mary and Murdock**_

_**I checked out that restaurant that your going to and noticed they had valet service. I figured you might draw attention if you both showed up dressed to the nines in some van. So I went out and borrowed this from a car dealership on the other side of town. I will return it in a few days but for now it's all yours. Enjoy your night and try not to scratch the car.**_

_**Templeton 'Faceman' Peck**_

**Mary looked at the car in amazement and then said, "I think you have one of the best friends ever."**

**Murdock just laughed as he opened the futuristic door of the car for her to get in, "Yeah, I think I do."**

**They spent the drive just chatting and trying out all the buttons in the car. When they pulled up at the restaurant Murdock took a beep breath, "Well, here we go."**

**The valet opened his door first and Murdock gave him hell for it, saying, "You always open the door for a lady first. Where were you raised boy?"**

**He then proceeded to open her door himself and leading her into the restaurant on his arm with pride. The man at the podium just inside the door just stared at Murdock's fading bruises for a few second before smiling in a way that made Murdock want to take a shower, "How may I help you?"**

"**I have a reservation under Murdock." Murdock said as if he said such things all the time and had every right to be there**

**The man looked down at the book before him and then smiled up at them again. "Please follow me to your table."**

**They walked through the restaurant slowly. The place was decked out with crystal and candles. Everyone just ignored what was going on around them and looked like they expected this kind of thing all the time. Murdock felt more and more out of place. But then he looked down at Mary and saw the look of joy and awe on her face. His apprehension left him in an instant. Because as long as he had her with him, he would feel comfortable anywhere.**

**They were seated at a nice table in the center of the room. The table cloth was a crisp white and the tabletop had a small crystal glass with a candle alight within. Within moments of sitting down a waiter came over and gave them menus and a wine list. Murdock looked at the list and ordered something he had heard Face order once. The man nodded and left, leaving them to look at their menus.**

**Mary took one look at the prices and gasped. She leaned across the table and whispered, "James, this place, it's so expensive. How are you affording this?"**

**Murdock just winked, "Well, a few days ago, Face pulled a con while you had me trapped in my room. He made a good sum and put a rat in the producing company out of business. We got a nice chunk of change to play around with. This will make a nice dent in my end but it'll be worth it. I mean, I don't really use my money for much. But now I have you to spend it on, so please let me." he took her hand on the table top and squeezed lightly**

**Mary just smiled and nodded, "Alright James, but only every now and then. Deal?"**

**Murdock smiled softly, "Deal baby doll."**

**After a few minutes of quietly looking at the menu they ordered. Murdock ordered a well done steak while Mary got some sort of seafood chowder neither of them had ever heard of.**

**They sat at the table, waiting for their food. They held hands on the table and chatted quietly, never taking their eyes off each other. **

**Mary just couldn't believe this was happening to her. She was sitting across from the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful man she had ever met. She was staring into his soft green eyes and feeling her heart flutter. He was looking at her with so much love it made her chest feel like it would explode. She realized she had only felt this way one other day in her whole life. That had been the day she had given birth to Lisa and had first held her in her arms.**

**Murdock looked at the beautiful woman across from him. He stared into those dazzling hazel eyes that sparkled with love and joy. He couldn't believe he was sitting here across from the most beautiful, loving, understanding woman he had ever met. Every time he looked at her he felt like his chest would burst with joy and love, and he cherished that feeling. He had only ever felt this way once in his life, the first day he had ever flown a plane all on his own. She made him feel like he was breaking the cloud line for the first time all over again.**

**The mood was interrupted, but not entirely broken, when the waiter brought their food. Murdock took a bite and shrugged, "I think mine are better. It's missing that pop."**

"**You mean that after taste that only comes from an explosion?" Mary asked with a good natured smile**

"**Yeah, that's it." Murdock said, pointing his fork at her**

**They ate their food and drank their wine in perfect bliss. Finally they ordered dessert. Nothing to special, just a slice of cheesecake to share. As they were eating it Murdock put down his fork and took both of Mary's hands in his.**

"**Mary, I had a reason for wanting to take you out. Well, it didn't when I asked but I did later on." Murdock said**

"**James, what are you talking about?" Mary asked**

"**Well, you know how you spent all that time taking care of me and nursing me back to health?" **

**Mary smirked, "Yes, I think I can recall."**

"**Well, every night you were there you spent by my side in bed. And last night, after you left, I realized it felt so damn empty. I squeezed a pillow all night long just so I could smell you on it. And I realized that I can't spend one more night without you in my bed. And the reason is because…" Murdock squeezed Mary's hands, "I love you Mary, with all my heart and soul, you and Lisa. And it's because of that that I want you to get an apartment with me and Lilly."**

**Mary gasped in shock at the words she had just heard. She just stared at him in wonder and only came back to herself when Murdock looked like he had been stabbed in the heart and was taking his hands back. She grasped both his hands tightly and said, "James, I love you to, more then I've ever loved anyone. I'd be happy to get an apartment with you."**

**Murdock smiled so wide it was a shock that his face didn't break, "Really, you mean it?"**

**Mary smiled as wide as him, "Yes James."**

**Mary jumped in shock when Murdock jumped to his feet and ran around the table to pick her up and spin her around, laughing for joy the entire time. The restaurant patrons looked on with distain but neither of them really noticed, caught up in their own happiness. **

**They paid the bill and left quickly after. Murdock drove to Mary's apartment and literally carried her up to it. As soon as the door closed behind them he put her down and kissed her with so much heat and passion Mary thought she might melt.**

**They kissed and touched as they made their way to the bedroom. Behind them they left a trail of clothing. Once they got to the bedroom Murdock threw Mary onto the bed, quickly climbing up over her. He looked down at her perfect body, noticing every little detail. They touched and teased each other for what felt like a lifetime. When Murdock finally entered her he thought his head might explode. The feeling was like nothing he had ever experienced, and judging by the sounds Mary was making she felt the same way.**

**For the next several hours they continued to make love and got to know every inch of each other. At around 3 AM they finally fell asleep, after having a shower together to clean off. They had their arms wrapped around each other and contented smiles on their faces.**

**AN: I'm back with new chapters. Sorry for the wait but a few things came up. Now, let me know what you thought of this chapter. It was really hard to write considering I don't know to much about this kind of dating. My sort of thing is more along the lines of nachos and pool at the bowling alley. Also, I hope those last few paragraphs were alright. As always, let me know what you think.**


	12. Chapter 12

Mary woke slowly, memories of the night before flickering in her mind. She smiled as she moved, aching in the most wonderful places, and a few she had forgotten she even had. She slowly turned over and was surprised to see Murdock was gone, "James?" Mary slipped out of bed and into her bathrobe. She looked around and that's when she smelled it. The smell for bacon frying. She smiled and walked out of her room and into the kitchen.

Murdock stood there, his back to her, wearing nothing but his red boxer shorts. He had turned on the radio and was swaying his hips to the music. Mary took a moment to enjoy the sight and looked at the scars all over him. Last night she had spent an hour identifying and kissing each one.

She was surprised when Murdock said, without turning around, "See anything you like baby doll?"

Mary just smiled and as she walked past him she swatted his swaying butt lightly, "I see a lot that I like, but I'm to hungry to do anything about it."

"I'll have to fix that." Murdock set a plate piled high with food in front of her, kissing her soundly while he was bent down. When he pulled back he smiled, "Better then coffee to wake a man up in the morning."

They spent the rest of breakfast just smiling and throwing around innuendo. As soon as they were both done eating they went back to the bedroom and made love one more time before showering, separately. Mary got changed into some different clothes while Murdock just slipped back into his now wrinkled suit. They got back into the green Acura Integra and drove back to Murdock's apartment building. As they drove, they talked.

"Face told me he already knew a place real close by that would be perfect for us." Murdock said as they pulled into the apartment building parking lot.

"Really? Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a look." Mary said as they got out of the car

Murdock snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her close as they walked up the stairs to his apartment. She followed him into his room to continue the conversation while he changed. By the time Murdock was changed it was around 11AM. Mary decided to stay in the apartment and make lunch while Murdock went to get the kids.

Murdock knocked on Face's door and when it opened he laughed. Face looked like he had gotten almost no sleep and had a serious case of bed head, "What happened to you?"

"I gave them sugar, that's what happened. Never again Murdock, never again." Face grumbled. Then he perked up and looked down at his wristwatch, "Dude, you've been gone for over twelve hours. And I take it from that smile on your face that she said yes."

"Yup, set up an appointment for that apartment. Where is it anyway?" Murdock asked as he stepped into Face's apartment

"It's on the floor right above us. I had it turned into a loft a few weeks ago. Thought it would be cool if we ever needed it. It's got four bedrooms, nice big bathroom, and a fully functional kitchen. But I figured that you could use it more then me."

Face didn't have any time to think before he was taken into Murdock's arms and spun around. Then he was put down and just hugged tightly, "Face, you are the best friend I have ever had. Everything you've done over the last couple days. Why do you take such good care of me?"

Face pulled back so he could look into Murdock's eyes, "Because man, we're family. The only thing I care about is seeing my family happy. And if any of us deserve happiness, it's you Murdock."

They hugged firmly for a few more seconds before Murdock pulled back and went to get the girls. When he told them about the new arrangements they were so happy.

Over the next week they moved slowly into the loft on the top floor of the apartment building. I was spacious and furnished. The kitchen was all chrome and tile with a big fridge and a five burner stovetop. Each of the four rooms were the same size and came with a queen sized bed. Murdock and Mary took out two of the beds and replaced them with suitably sized beds for the girls. The bathroom was large and came with a bathtub and a shower on opposite sides of the room. The counter top had two sinks set in it under a large mirror. The living room was also a good size and had a flat screen and a leather couch with two matching chairs.

Murdock decided that in order to properly thank Face for everything he would make him his favorite dinner the first night in their new apartment. Mary readily agreed and went out to buy Face's favorite wine. Face didn't know anything about what was going on and when Murdock called him up Tuesday night, saying something was wrong with the bathroom, he was surprised to find everyone there with smiles on their faces.

"Guys, what's going on?" Face asked, seeing all his friends before him

Murdock and Mary stepped away from the small group. Murdock swung his arm over Face's shoulder while Mary took hold of the opposite arm. "What do you think Faceman? This is your thank you party."

"Thank you party?" Face asked in confusion as he was led over to the kitchen and set up at the head of the large table

"Yes Templeton. It's a party to show you how grateful we are of everything you've done for me and James." Mary said as she kissed his cheek before going over to Murdock and leaning against him. Murdock put his arm around her waist and held her close to his side, "After all, you helped make our first date one to remember. I never did get to thank you for buying James that suit." she winked

Murdock just blushed and shrugged, "Yeah, well, anyway, thanks for all of this. You really are a good friend."

BA spoke up then, "Enough of this wishy washy stuff. Lets get this party started."

The girls cheered as one, "Yeah."

Everyone laughed as the party started and dinner was served. For hours everyone ate good food and drank good wine, juice for the girls. After the girls had gone to bed they watched some old movies that the boys had shot over the years. The video's ranged from base to base and mission to mission. Murdock knew Mary would want to watch them all some day. And when the girls were older he would show them the videos to.

The party didn't stop until around 2AM and by then everyone was exhausted and content. As soon as the guys left Murdock had Mary in his lap in one of the leather armchairs. They kissed with no other intention then to just enjoy it.

"That was one of the nicest things I've ever seen someone do for a friend." Mary said as she nuzzled his neck

"Well, I'm a nice guy." he kissed her neck before laughing, "Did you see his face when we brought out the movies. I bet he thought I lost them when we got arrested."

"How did you manage to keep them?"

"Well, I had them sent to my own personal storage unit, under a different name of course. That's where I send all the things that mean the most to me. And those movies, they mean a lot to me." Murdock sighed, "It shows a time when we were our happiest. When we had no idea what was about to happen to us." Murdock's face became sad, "When we were free."

Mary just got up and tugged him to the bedroom and they plopped down on the bed, fully clothed. Mary pulled the covers over them and then snuggled close to Murdock, holding him tightly, "You may not be free right now, but at least I can make you feel like you are, from time to time."

Murdock turned so they were face to face, "Mary, you make me feel free every time I look at you. You and the girls, make me feel…sane. I haven't felt this level headed in years."

Mary just giggled, "Well, don't get to normal on me James. Half the fun of being with you is I don't know what you'll do next. Besides, if none of that had happened, I wouldn't have you right now."

Murdock smiled, "Yeah, and I would never have met you either." he snuggled close to her and closed his eyes, just content to hold her for tonight, "I love you Mary."

"I love you James. Now get some sleep." Mary snuggled close to him as well and they held each other tight as they drifted off to sleep

The next morning was a bit hectic because Mary overslept and was running late for work. She was in the shower and Murdock was making her an egg sandwich go to. He wrapped it in a napkin just as Mary ran out of their room, tying her hair back. Murdock noticed it was getting a little longer and decided that he liked it, "Here's your breakfast. If you eat while you drive you should just make it."

Mary took the wrapped sandwich and kissed Murdock, "Thanks sweetie, I'll see you when I get home at 4. Call me if you need anything."

Mary was out the door so fast it made Murdock's head spin. When he thought about what had just happened he grinned, "Well, I guess that makes me the stay at home dad. Guess I should get the girls up then."

Murdock went into Lisa's room first. As it was the closest, and knocked before entering. Lisa was sleeping in because it was Saturday and she didn't have school. Murdock and Mary had been talking and decided that Lisa wouldn't stay in school much longer. She would be home schooled with Lilly. Lisa had loved the idea.

He snuck over to her bed and lightly shook Lisa, "Lisa, time to get up. Rise and shine buttercup."

Lisa slowly woke and yawned, "I'm up."

"Good, now get dressed and come eat some breakfast. I have a few errands to run today and I need my girls fed and ready to go."

Murdock went into Lilly's room and repeated the maneuver. He then went out into the kitchen to make a slower breakfast for the girls.

Lisa came out wearing jeans and a pink short sleeve button up with a rose embroidered on each end of the collar. She was wearing a pair of pink Converse shoes. Her long brown hair swaying as she held up a green sequin scrunchy, "Dad, can you help me?"

Murdock just smiled as she called him that. She had decided, when they moved in together, that that made him her dad. Mary had said that he might as well be and he had accepted it. Now all he needed to do was marry Mary and it would be official. But he wanted to give it more time. He knew he would love to marry her but he wanted to give her time to realize what it would be like to live with a wanted fugitive.

"Sure Lisa, I'll take care of it for you." Murdock had just finished fixing her hair when out came Lilly

She was also dressed in jeans but wore a plain white t-shirt as well as a pair of bright green Converse shoes. Her red hair just fell straight down her back and to her hips. Murdock realized he might need to get them both haircuts today. He ran his fingers through his own hair and decided to get a haircut for himself as well.

Murdock then left the girls to eat while he got changed into some fresh clothes. He chose a pair of his own jeans and black Converse. He smiled at the thought that they all had the same shoes. Now he just needed to get a pair for Mary. He grabbed a black t-shirt that said, "If you can read this step back" in smallish, white print. He picked up his brown leather jacket and slapped on his red ball cap before going to join the girls.

After they had eaten they went downstairs and got the keys to BA's van to run the errands.

"First thing we have to do girls is pick you up some supplies for home schooling." he handed a list to Lilly as he strapped the girls into the two back seats, "This is the list of supplies we will be picking up today. Your job is to keep track of it." he handed a list to Lisa next, "This is a list of groceries that we need to pick up after the school supplies. It's your job to take care of that one. Today, you are my requisitions officers. Is that clear?"

They both gave him sloppy salutes and said, "Yes sir."

Murdock just smiled at the pair of nine year olds, "Good, now let's go."

The first stop was Staples. As they walked in a female employee came up and asked them if she could help. Murdock just smiled at her, a girl at each side, and asked, "Hey there miss. Could you tell me where I might get some supplies for school?"

The woman smiled back at him and down at the girls, "Of course sir, just let me show you."

As they walked through the store the girls looked around. They seemed in awe of all the shiny things. And they weren't the only ones. Murdock was having trouble trying to act like the responsible adult. It was for this reason Murdock was slightly grateful when the woman left them alone. They explored the school supplies and bought as much as they thought they needed, as well as a few things they didn't. By the end of it they had tons of paper, markers, a giant white board to write things on, pencils, scissors, and several other things. The girls each carried a basket while Murdock carried two and the large teaching whiteboard under his arm. Once they checked out they went and loaded up the van. Lilly held up the list to Murdock.

"Everything on the list has been gotten sir." she saluted crookedly

Murdock smiled and patted her head, "Good job soldier."

The next stop was the grocery store. They pulled up to a locally owned market and got out of the car. They got a cart and started to shop. Lisa would read an item off the list and Murdock would get it. Whenever she didn't know the word Murdock would help her sound it out. While he was watching the girls get fruit from the display a very attractive woman sauntered up to him, swinging her hip.

"Are those two yours?" she asked as she curled her hair

Murdock just glanced at her before looking back at the girls, "Yup, those are my girls."

"Why are you shopping with them alone? Shouldn't your wife be here with you?" she was fishing for information

"I'm not married." Murdock saw the girls eyes brighten and realized what she was doing. His smile dimmed a little as he said, "But I do live with my girlfriend." then he just pushed the cart over to the girls, leaving a stunned woman behind him

After they checked out and had loaded up the van Lisa gave him a little salute of her own, "I have gathered all the stuff on my list sir."

He gave her a pat on the head, "Good job soldier."

They went back to the apartment and after a few trips to and from the van they had unloaded everything. Once the groceries were put away and the school supplies set out to be organized when Mary got home Murdock called the salon a few blocks over. He was happy to find three slots open up and told them he would be there in a few minutes.

He took the girls down to the salon and once again they were all distracted by the shiny equipment. Murdock kept a close eye on the man who was cutting the girls hair. He knew it was normal but he didn't like some unknown man near his girls with something sharp in his hands.

After the hair cuts they went back to the apartment for a late lunch. As they ate lunch Murdock took the time to relax a little. He saw the girls do the same and realized they were also a little tired, "Hey girls, who wants to watch some cartoons for a little while?"

Both the girls smiled and they snuggled up on the couch, Murdock in the middle.

Mary came home about an hour later to find Murdock sleeping on the couch, the girls sleeping on top of him. The TV was on and was playing Chowder.

Mary just smiled and quietly turned off the TV before going to the kitchen. She saw all the shopping had been done and smiled again. It was no wonder they were so tired. Knowing those three they had done it with energy and distractions aplenty. She saw all the school supplies and smiled at the teaching white board. She went out and woke up Murdock first.

"James, wake up." she leaned over the back of the couch and kissed him. She giggled as he tried to follow her mouth as she pulled away but was unable to because of the two children holding him down, "You fell asleep watching TV."

Murdock whispered back, "Yeah, I noticed that. Should I wake the girls?"

"You had better. If they sleep to long then they won't be tired tonight." Mary sighed

After the girls were awake and playing in Lilly's room Mary sat down next to Murdock on the couch, "So how was your day?" Murdock asked

"Not to bad today. A car accident is about all that happened today. I like to call these lucky days." Mary snuggled into Murdock's side, "Janie, a girl I work with, she asked me about you."

"Oh? You tell people about me?" Murdock asked

"Well, sort of. I tell them I have a boyfriend named James who had a little girl named Lilly. I never tell them to much because of, well, yeah. But Janie wanted to know what it was like living with you for the first time."

"And what did you tell her?" Murdock sounded slightly worried

"I told her that you hog the covers." Mary giggled

Murdock pouted, "Those are lies, falsehoods, unproven half truths."

Mary just kissed his cheek, "Sorry sweetie, but it's not a lie. It's also, not a big deal." she smiled up at him once more, "So, how was your day? I can tell you and the girls each got haircuts but what else?"

"It was fun. Took the girls to Staples, so many shiny things." he looked off into space as though seeing them once again before coming back to himself, "The girls really liked picking out all the supplies. Lisa found that whiteboard, we should be able to use that for a lot. Then we went grocery shopping, and it was really weird."

"Why was it weird?" Mary asked

"Well, there was this busty blond bimbo. Came right up to me and started talking to me about the girls. Then she started fishing, asking me if I was married. I told her no, but that I live with my very beautiful girlfriend." Murdock looked down at Mary, "Can you believe that?"

Mary just giggled, "I can as a matter of fact. Dads who take care of their kids can be very attractive to some girls. They just fish around to find out if they are attached and if they aren't then they strike."

Murdock shivered, "Sound kinda creepy."

Mary just giggled again, "Well, it kinda is."

"Besides, I would never want any girl who treated me like that." he squeezed Mary, "I want a girl who loves me and my daughter and is willing to overlook my uncountable flaws."

Mary just sighed and rolled her eyes, "Well, I guess I can do that."

Murdock just smiled and kissed her soundly, "Well, enough of this lovey dovey talk, time to make dinner."

**AN: I don't know much about home schooling so I'm just gonna wing it from now on. And the fact that it's not official might be a problem in the real world but not in the fan fiction world. Also, a cyber cookie to whoever can tell me what the cartoon Chowder had in common with the original A-Team TV show. Please let me know what you thought about this chapter.**


	13. Chapter 13

Over the next month life seemed perfect. 5 days out of the week Mary would go to work and leave Murdock with Lisa and Lilly. Every day the girls would help Murdock with whatever needed doing and Murdock would teach them for about 5 hours, a different subject each hour.

Lisa seemed to take to home schooling just as fast as Lilly had. And they were learning so fast it made Murdock swell with pride. They were already reading books at a 4th grade level.

When Mary came home from work they would cook dinner together and after the kids went to bed they would sometimes just sit on the couch and watch TV until they got tired and went to bed. Sometimes, after the girls had gone to bed, they showed how much they really loved each other by making love in their bed.

On the day's Mary stayed home Murdock would show her what he had been teaching the girls and they would come up with a plan together about what to teach them next. Then they would take the girls to the park.

Murdock was getting used to talking to the other parents about his kids and had even started carrying a picture of the girls and Mary around in his wallet.

And then, the day Murdock had been waiting for came. Valentines day, February 14th, the day of lovers, whatever you wanna call it. And Murdock had everything planned out down to the last detail. Today and tonight, the guys would be watching the girls. He and the girls had talked about it and that morning at around 6 AM he led them down to Hannibal's apartment, as he was the only one awake, and left them there to finish sleeping. He gave Hannibal a list of things to be aware of when watching the girls and a bag of things for each of them.

Murdock went back up to the loft and started to make breakfast. As he cooked he tried to remember the last time he had had someone special to spend Valentines day with. He realized it hadn't been since he was 17, just before he joined the army. He couldn't even remember her name anymore. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and went back to concentrating on his cooking.

He looked down at the tray he had laid out. The top corners of the tray were taken up by a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee. The center had a large plate of eggs, bacon, and toast. The eggs and toast had been cut into heart shapes and the bacon made into and arrow shooting through the giant egg heart. He smiled at his handy work. On one side of the plate was a small saucer with butter and jam for the toast along with a knife and fork. On the other side of the plate was a list of things that Murdock had planned for the day for Mary to look at. The list was right next to a small glass vase that held a single red rose in it.

He looked up at the clock in the kitchen and smiled to see he had 5 minutes before 8AM, when their alarm clock would go off to wake the girls. He snuck back into the room and watched as the alarm went off and Mary woke with a groan. He smiled as she reached out to find him and then looked around confused when she couldn't find him.

"James?" she asked the room sleepily

"Over here love." he said

When Mary saw Murdock she smiled. When she saw that he was dressed and what he was holding her eyes widened, "James, what's that?" she slowly sat up in the bed

Murdock just smiled wider, "This is your Valentines day breakfast in bed silly. What else would it be?"

Mary just looked shocked as the tray was placed carefully over her legs. She looked down at the cliché shapes the food was in and the rose and just smiled, a giggle escaping from her lips, "James, you didn't have to do all this."

Murdock crouched down next to the bed so that he was eye level with her, "Yes I did. This is the first Valentines day of many I am going to have with you and I don't want you to ever forget it. Besides that…" he looked down at the floor dejectedly, "when I dropped the girls off with Hannibal this morning he told me we have a mission tomorrow, down in Brazil."

Mary's face fell into a sad smile as she reached out and ran her finger through Murdock's hair, "For how long?"

"About a week. But it shouldn't be so bad. Just some stupid drug dealer who likes to pick on the girls of the local town. Nothing we haven't dealt with before. I just feel bad dropping the girls on you and leaving the day after Valentines day." Murdock sighed but then perked up, smiling widely at her, "And that's why we're going to spend the entire day together, doing lovey dovey things."

Mary just smiled and looked down at her breakfast, "Well, then we had better get started."

After breakfast in bed Murdock treated Mary to a little exercise to work it off, without ever leaving the bed. After they had both showered he dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a plain green shirt. Mary wore a sundress that made Murdock's heart flutter. He took her hand as they walked out of the apartment and a few blocks over to see and early movie. After the movie they took a long walk in the park. For lunch Murdock bought them some hotdogs in the park and they sat on a bench, eating hotdogs and watching ducks swim in the pond. After that they went back to the apartment and once again made love to each other. As the sun went down they both got dressed again and Murdock took her to an Italian restaurant, a different one then he had taken Lilly to as he suspected he was no longer welcome there. They spent the dinner just talking and staring into each others eyes. That night, when they got home, Murdock took Mary into the bedroom and after undressing her and himself, laid her on her stomach. He took out a bottle of scented oil and started to massage every inch of her. This led to other activities that lasted throughout the night.

The next morning Murdock stayed in bed with Mary for as long as he could. Then they both got up and got dressed. As Mary made breakfast Murdock went to get the kids. Hannibal told him they had been little angels. As the girls took their bags and started back up to the loft Hannibal took Murdock's arm.

"Briefing is in an hour Captain. We leave in 5 hours."

Murdock just nodded, "I'll be ready sir."

At breakfast Murdock told the girls he would be gone for a week. Once again, they didn't like it but understood. Murdock just hugged them before going down for the briefing.

A few hours later he was packing his duffle bag. He had just finished loading the guns into it and was zipping it up when he felt two arms wrap around his waist. In the old days he would have jumped a mile high but now he felt comforted by the feeling. He gently leaned back into the comforting presence behind him.

Mary kissed his neck lovingly, "Promise you'll be careful James."

Murdock turned around and pulled Mary into a tight hug, "I'm always careful. Now even more careful because I have someone to come back to." he kissed the top of her head, "I have to go baby."

"I know." Mary said, but they stood there for a few more minutes before leaving the room

Murdock held his two girls tightly to his chest and said, "Now, you be good for your mother. I'll be back in a week. And I promise that when I come back I'll take us all out for ice cream and a movie, alright?"

The girls just nodded and after giving their father one last squeeze, watched him walk out the door. They were sad that he wouldn't call them every day but he promised to call when he could.

The rest of the day was a little sad for everyone but they plowed through it, knowing that James Murdock would return.

The next morning Mary got the girls up and ready for a day at the Hospital daycare center. She had made them teaching booklets so that they would still learn while at the daycare center. She didn't want to leave the girls alone but she had no other choice. To comfort them she had given them each a picture of them with James. The girls loved them and put them in their pockets.

Mary walked into the Hospital with the two girls at her side and was almost instantly set upon by her fellow coworkers. Janie was the first to ask, "Is this Lilly?" as they had all already met Lisa a few times

"Yes, this is Lilly, James's daughter." Mary said as she tried to just get the girls to the daycare because Lilly was getting a little nervous with all the attention

After answering a few more questions she got the girls to the right wing and left them in the capable hands of a woman named Helen. The girls seemed alright for now and she promised to come back for lunch.

Mary was looking over a few charts, or at least trying to. She reached into her pocket and took out a picture from her pocket. It was a picture of her and James on the night of Face's thank you party. She was sitting on his lap, they were each holding a beer. They were laughing at something that had been said. It was a good picture." she was so focused on it that she didn't hear Janie sneaking up behind her

"What are you looking at so intently?" Janie asked, snatching the picture gently from Mary's hand

"Janie, give that back." Mary said

"Is this him? Is this the mysterious James?" Janie asked as she took a closer look at the picture, "He's cute."

Mary snatched the picture back and stuffed it back into her pocket, "Janie, did you need something?"

"Nothing really important." Janie took a closer look at Mary, "Mary, I didn't ask this before, but why isn't James watching the kids like he usually does?"

Mary looked down at the chart in her hands, "He and his friends got a call."

"That's right, private security or something like that." Janie hugged Mary's shoulder, "Mary, why are you so worried. I knew a guy who did stuff like that. It's just stuff like guarding black tie events and stuff like that right?"

Mary shook her head, "No, it's more like taking contract work to protect endangered individuals. Last time James came home he was badly injured."

"Are you serious? Why would you stay with a guy like that? The stress alone…" Janie stopped talking when Mary looked back up at her with a glare

"I stay with him because I love him, and his daughter. He is very good at what he does, him and his friends. I've already thought about all the things that could go wrong and they are all worth it." just as she was about to continue the intercom came on and said she had a call at the front desk. Mary picked up the phone nearest her and connected the line before asking snappishly, "What?"

"Well aren't you full of sunshine?" asked Murdock from across the phone

"James?"

"Who else Chiquita?" Murdock sounded very happy

"It's good to hear from you. But I thought you wouldn't be able to call every day."

Murdock sighed sadly, "No, after this I won't be near a phone for about 2 days. I just wanted to talk to you before I went off into the jungle. Just wanted to tell you how much I love you and the girls. I'll call you in a few days. I love you Mary."

"I love you to James. Good luck." Mary hung up the phone and wiped a single tear from her eye

Mary felt a hand touch her shoulder and before she knew it she was pulled into a tight hug by Janie, "I'm sorry Mary. I didn't realize how much he meant to you." she pulled back and looked at her friend, "He's the one isn't he?"

Mary just smiled, "Yeah Janie, I think he is."

Over the next 5 days Mary brought the girls to work with her. Every day at lunch she and Janie would take the girls to lunch. Sometimes they would talk about James and tell funny stories. But because Janie was around they never talked about who he really was. It was on her last day at work for the week that she got another phone call.

"Hey baby, guess who?" Murdock's voice said over the line

"James, thank god. I was starting to get worried. You said you would call in 2 days and it's been 4." Mary sighed happily into the phone

"Well, we stayed longer then we planned. And this time it had nothing to do with any of us getting captured. We had to change the plan, and because we did I'm coming home early." Murdock's voice sounded so happy

"Really, when are you getting home?" Mary asked

Suddenly hands snaked around her waist and a voice whispered into her ear, "About 2 hours ago."

Mary screamed in shock and spun around to tackle her boyfriend. She didn't care that her scream had attracted the attention of the entire nurses station. All she cared about was that she was holding the man she loved, taking in his scent. Suddenly she found herself being kissed so passionately that it took her breath away. When Murdock pulled back she heard him sigh, "God I missed that."

Mary took the pause in their reunion to take a look at Murdock. It was clear that he had been back to the apartment to change and take a shower. She could see his hair was still slightly damp under his red ball cap. She also saw that he was slightly banged up, but not to much. His left cheek was bruised and he had a bandage over his right eyebrow. She smiled, "Looks like you came out of it nicely this time."

Murdock took a step back so he could take her in and just smiled, "Yeah, they weren't so tough."

Their reunion was interrupted when Janie came over, head down reading a chart, "Hey Mary, have you seen Tracy, she forgot to replace the…" Janie paused as she looked up and took in the image before her. Mary was being embraced lovingly by a slightly banged up man. Her eyes widened as she put the chart on the counter, "Oh my God, it's him."

Murdock looked confused and then nervous as Janie continued to stare at him. He held up his hand and wiggled his fingers in greeting, "Hey there."

Janie opened her mouth to speak but Mary beat her to it, "James, this is Janie."

Murdock's eyes widened, "You mean the one who asks about me all the time?" Mary nodded. Murdock turned his eyes to Janie and just smiled, "So, tell me Janie, what do you think of the real me?"

Janie paused and then smiled, "I thought you'd be taller."

Murdock just laughed and then held out his hand, "James Murdock, pleased to meet you."

**AN: And that's another chapter down. Let me know what you think as always. I'm sorry to say that I am running out of inspiration so the next chapter will be the last one…for now. I WILL write a sequel in the future. This last chapter might be a bit rushed but I can't help it. Just know, it's not the end.**

**PS. I'm so proud of everyone who knew that the conection between A-Team and Chowder is that Dwight Shultz, the original Murdock, now does the voice of Mung Daal.**


	14. Chapter 14

Over the next few months the family routine was reestablished and normality, or as normal as Murdock's family got, returned. Murdock had only gone on one other mission in that time and had come back without a single scratch. Soon it was April and Mary's birthday was coming up.

Murdock had spent that last few weeks trying to figure out what to do for it. He was stumped. He was sitting on the roof of the apartment building one week before her birthday when it hit him.

He ran down to Face's apartment and knocked on the door. Face answered, "Murdock, what's up?"

"I need your help with something." Murdock said

"What's up?"

"I need you to help me get an engagement ring Mary." Murdock said

Face just stood there for a few seconds and then he just smiled, "Sure buddy, I know just the place."

A week later Mary came home from work in a horrible mood. Today was her birthday and no one at the hospital, except for Janie, had remembered. She was looking forward to a nice quiet night at home with her family. She was therefore a bit surprised to open the door and hear soft music playing and finding the lights dimmed.

"Hello, girls, James?" Mary called as she walked farther into the apartment

No one answered her but she forgot about this when she saw the ground. There were flower petals scattered everywhere. And not just rose petals, but petals of all colors and sized from several different flowers. She put her bag down and followed them into the kitchen. She gasped at the sight that met her eyes.

The kitchen table had been replaced with a smaller table, one made for two. There were candle on the table, burning in the low light. The table had been covered in a red table cloth and set elaborately. In the center of the table was a large, silver covered platter. Sitting on a stand next to the table was a bottle of wine that was airing out.

She jumped as a voice whispered into her ear, "Do you like it?"

Mary spun around and hugged Murdock, "O James, it's lovely. I'm not sure what to say."

"Don't say anything baby. Just eat with me." he led her over to the table

That's when Mary got a good look at him. She was shocked to see him in the suit he had worn on their first date. She felt extremely underdressed and said so.

Murdock just looked at her lovingly and said, "It's your birthday Mary, you don't need to be dressed up. One of the perks of being the birthday girl."

Murdock sat her down and then lifted the lid off the platter. Sitting on the platter was a perfectly cooked roast with a side of greens and buttered rolls. It was Mary's favorite meal.

They ate slowly, enjoying the meal and each other. Once the plates were empty Murdock cleared off the table and then reached into the fridge to pull out something very special. He laid two slices of Mary's favorite chocolate cake on the table.

Mary and Murdock began to eat but halfway through her cake Mary stopped and stared at her fork. Hanging off of it was diamond ring. Mary just stared at it for a few seconds and then looked up at Murdock, "James?"

Murdock got up and moved to kneel beside her. He took her free hand, the one not holding the fork, and clasped it in both his hands. He stared up into her eyes, his own shimmering with nothing but love, "Mary, I love you and Lisa so much. I know that I'm not the perfect guy. Hell, I'm an insane Federal fugitive. But, I love you so much it feels like I'm flying. I go on missions and all I can think about is coming back to you and holding you in my arms. I dream of us growing old together, raising the girls and watching them have kids of their own." he drew slightly closer, "You make my head so clear, the voices so dim. The madness is less with you in my world." he pulled her hand to his chest, placing it over his heart, "I love you so much that there aren't any words to describe it. All I can do is try an make sure that this feeling never goes away. And the only way to do that is to ask you four simple words." he took a deep breath, never breaking eye contact, and asked, "Will you marry me?"

Mary's eyes were shinning with tears of joy. She placed the fork down, took the ring off of it, and placed it on her own finger, "James, of course I will."

That night neither one of them got a single minute of sleep until 5AM. They spent the entire night in bed, making love several times over, further solidifying their bond.

The next morning when the alarm went off it was ignored. It wasn't until around 11 that Murdock woke. He spent several minutes just watching Mary sleep. He saw her hand, the ring shinning on it, and smiled.

For the next two days the entire gang was celebrating. They all went out to eat and had a small party in the apartment. The girls were thrilled as were the guys. It was non-stop fun for all. When Mary had to go back to work Murdock almost called in sick for her but she stopped him.

"James, I have to work. You can't keep me locked in the house forever." Mary giggled as he nuzzled her neck at breakfast

"Are you sure? Cause I could make it worth your while." Murdock started to nip at her neck where he knew it would drive her crazy

Mary shoved him off, "Alright, I need to go." she kissed the girls heads as she passed the kitchen table, "See you girls later. Work hard for you daddy today."

Mary drove to work, a big smile plastered on her face that nothing could remove. She walked into the hospital and started her shift. She was about halfway through it when she saw Janie. Janie walked up to her and then stopped, staring at Mary's hand that clutched a chart, "Mary, is that what I think it is?"

Mary smiled, "Janie, I'm getting married."

Janie squealed and hugged her friend tightly, "Mary, that's great. Tell me everything, how did it happen."

Over the next few weeks word got around the hospital that Mary was getting married to her boyfriend. Not many people had seen James but a few had when he had come in a few months ago all banged up and surprised her. Everyone was happy for her and offering to help in any way they could.

The home routine was a bit different because of the wedding planning but it was still going as well as ever. They planned to get married on the 4th of July so the planning was being done quickly.

It was going to be a small wedding at the neighborhood church. The only people who were invited were Mary's co-workers, two couples from the park where the children played that they had gotten to know very well, and the guys. Janie was the bridesmaid and Face was the best man. Lilly and Lisa were the flower girl and ring barer. Everything was going perfectly.

Then the day of the wedding came. It was hot, but it was a dry heat. The guests were all seated and Murdock was at the head of the isle, waiting for Mary to walk down it to him. He was dressed in his uniform, pressed and neat. And when Mary came down the isle in her white dress, Murdock knew he would never forget the sight of her, beaming as brightly as he figured he was.

After the priest finished and told Murdock to kiss the bride, he did just that. He lunged and kissed her hard, his hands holding her close. Everyone cheered and clapped. Murdock picked Mary up, making her squeal, and carried her down the isle and out to the front yard of the church. Sitting on the lawn was a small chopper, their bags in the storage unit. Murdock and Mary waved to everyone as Murdock flew the chopper away to the airport where Face had arranged a private jet to take them to Hawaii. For the next two week they would be honeymooning on a private beach, Face's gift to them.

**AN: Sorry to say but I have to end it there for right now. I'm out of inspiration for this story right now. But I promise to come back and do another one as soon as I think of something. Please don't hate me for rushing this last chapter but I wanted to get them married before I gave up the ghost. Please let me know what you think and any ideas for the sequel are appreciated.**


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